Cricketers Facing Fines Over Political Statements: Full List Revealed

Cricket is one of the most followed sports in South Asia and has been growing rapidly across the globe. While the game allows the freedom of expression, political statements by players are something that is not allowed by the cricket boards. The officials are tightening rules around political statements, and multiple players have faced penalties in the past.

One of the names that is currently discussed for being fined for political statements is the Pakistani cricketer Naseem Shah. The fast bowler is the latest one to have received a hefty fine for his actions during the PSL. Apart from him, let’s have a look at the list of cricketers who have been banned for making political statements.

List of Cricketers Fined for Political Statements

The cricket authorities continue to enforce strict policies that separate sports from politics. According to the ICC rules on political statements, players are not allowed to make political messages during matches, on the field, or through official team platforms. Here are some of the players against whom action has been taken for making political statements.

1. Naseem Shah

The Pakistani pacer, Naseem Shah, who has been signed by Rawalpindiz for the PSL 2026, was recently fined a whopping amount of PKR 20 million for a social media post criticizing a politician’s presence during the tournament's first match. This is considered as one of the largest fines in Pakistan cricket history.

It was announced that the Pakistan Super League will take place without any spectators to conserve fuel; however, a few significant personalities, including the Punjab’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, who is also the daughter of the former Pakistan prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, arrived at the Gaddafi Stadium to watch the first game. Emphasizing this moment, Shah’s handle tweeted the post from the PCB media account, which read:

“Why is she treated like the Queen at Lord’s?”

Shortly after this, the tweet was deleted, and another post was posted, stating that his account was hacked and had been recovered. Reportedly, a hearing was held by a disciplinary committee, where Shah issued an apology and also fired his social media manager. The Naseem Shah tweet controversy shook the league and he was fined PKR 20 million. The PCB blacklisted his manager as well.

2. Aamer Jamal

The Pakistani all-rounder was also fined a huge amount in 2025 for displaying a slogan showing support for former prime minister Imran Khan. While training during the home Test series against England in December, he showed up with ‘804’ written on the underside of his hat.

It indicated support towards the former prime minister, Imran Khan, also considered as the GOAT of cricket, as it is his prisoner number. As Jamal was in his training kit and did not perform that stunt on a match day, it was not considered an ICC violation. However, under the PCB code of conduct, he was fined PKR 1 million.

3. Haris Rauf

Another player who was fined for breaching the political code of conduct was Haris Rauf, who was fined for violating the rules during the Super Four game against India at the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai. The Pakistani fast bowler made provocative and improper gestures during the match, including mocking plane crashes toward the Indian fans on September 21.

With his gestures towards the fans, Rauf, one of the best T20 bowlers, seemingly referenced the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025. Following this, he was fined 30% of his match fee by the ICC match referee Richie Richardson.

4. Sahibzada Farhan

The Pakistani opener, Sahibzada Farhan, was also involved in the aforementioned incident at the Super Four game at the Asia Cup 2025. Along with Haris Rauf, Farhan also aimed provocative gestures at the Indian cricketers and fans.

Before his teammate made gestures referencing plane crashes, Farhan, one of the best T20 batsmen going around, celebrated his half-century by mimicking a gun with his bat. In front of the ICC officials, he defended his actions, stating that they were not directed towards India. However, the ICC still fined him noting that his actions were inappropriate.