Former Pakistan keeper-batter Kamran Akmal has warned Pakistani players about posting on social media about politicians and told them to learn from their Indian counterparts. This came after he also stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) saved pacer Naseem Shah’s career by only fining him.

While fans are forbidden from attending games in the country's biggest domestic league due to the fuel crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz attended the PSL 2026 first match. Nawaz was invited to Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday, along with other dignitaries.

After PCB shared the video of Naqvi greeting Maryam on the social media platform, Naseem Shah found her and other politicians attending the PSL game hypocritical and posted on X, saying, "Why is she treated like the queen at Lord’s?”  

The PCB fined Naseem 20 million Pakistani rupees — nearly eight months' salary — for this post on X about Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Despite receiving an unequivocal apology, the PCB judged him guilty of many breaches of his primary contract.

Kamran Akmal stated that PCB saved Naseem’s career by only fining him and not banning him.

“The members of this committee and the chairman have saved his career. If he were banned, his career would have been ruined,” Akmal said on the YouTube show Gameplan.

Akmal also warned Naseem that his pace has dropped alarmingly, and he needs to work on his bowling by putting this social media controversy behind him.

“Where has the pace gone? He started at 145, 150—now it’s 135, 137. What was the diet plan? What did you do? Leave these things; play, enjoy your life, be successful, become a performer, and focus. Bring more skill to your bowling … I was so happy when he came on the scene in 2018. Such a talented fast bowler. He got everything at a young age due to his hard work and skill. I think he should go and thank the PCB chairman, who has taken this decision as if he were his own child. Money can come back; a ban would have been brutal,” Akmal added.

Furthermore, Akmal advised Pakistani players to think twice before sharing all of their thoughts on social media, especially about politics. He asked them to follow the lead of Indian cricketers.

“When you are part of the system, you have to stay neutral. You focus on your cricket. Tell me how many of their players tweet about Rahul Gandhi. It doesn’t happen in the world,” he added.