Lahore Qalandars have imposed a PKR 1 million fine on their captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, for a breach of security protocols a few days ago. Shaheen had escorted teammate Sikandar Raza’s guests to the players’ floor despite the security staff’s refusal.
Punjab police then wrote to PSL’s chief executive, Salman Naseer, accusing the Qalandars players of bringing “unauthorised visitors” to the floor.
Franchise response
The franchise said it conducted an internal investigation and informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of its decision. Qalandars, who have won three PSL trophies under Shaheen’s captaincy, said the breach was a misunderstanding, not a deliberate security breach. It further said that the incident was exaggerated and reported against the facts found during the inquiry.
Raza’s statement
Earlier, Raza attempted to exonerate Shaheen of blame, saying it was his guests that the Lahore captain had brought to the floor. However, the Zimbabwean player mentioned he and his captain were both unaware of any such protocols.
“Shaheen didn’t force anyone,” Raza said. “My friends and family had come, and at my request, Shaheen helped them [come up to my room]. If these were the SOPs [that visitors weren’t allowed into our rooms], I wasn’t aware, and to some extent, Shaheen wasn’t aware either.”
“The culprit here is me, not Shaheen. He went down on my request, because it was my close family and friends; I didn’t want to meet them in the business centre. We sat upstairs for 40 minutes.”
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