Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI:It appears that Pakistan’s star pacer Naseem Shah and trouble are going hand in hand. First, he was handed a hefty fine for his comments about a politician on social media – narrowly avoiding a ban – and now fresh concerns around his fitness that ruled him out of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).Beyond behavioural issues, his fitness worries have continued to mount, something that has not gone down well with the Pakistan Cricket Board.Naseem is likely to face action from the Pakistan Cricket Board over both his fitness concerns and his conduct. He will be required to undergo an extensive rehabilitation programme under the supervision of the medical panel.He was fined what is believed to be the largest penalty in Pakistan cricket history – PKR 20 million (approximately USD 72,000) – after criticising Punjab’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, in a tweet.“Naseem suffered a side strain during Rawalpindi’s match against Karachi Kings on Thursday and missed the team’s last match, which has raised serious questions over his fitness,” sources told www.telecomasia.net“Naseem’s rise has been stunted by off-field behaviour, his excessive attention to advertisements and podcasts, which has derailed his career. He also missed the 2023 ODI World Cup due to fitness issues, which are blots in his career,” Telecom Asia Sport said, quoting sources.“Naseem will appear before the medical panel under Dr Javed Mughal in the next couple of days, as the selection committee is also not happy with his frequent fitness issues,” sources added.Naseem had suffered an injury during Pakistan’s disappointing 2026 T20 World Cup campaign and was subsequently ruled out of the tour of Bangladesh.He was also demoted to the ‘C’ category in the central contracts list last year.
