PSL 2026: Sikandar Raza has come forward to defend Shaheen Shah Afridi after a Punjab police letter accused both players of forcefully escorting unauthorised visitors to Raza's hotel room.
The letter, addressed to PSL chief executive Salman Naseer, brought the incident into the spotlight.
Raza made it clear that Shaheen Shah Afridi was not at fault and was only helping him meet people close to him. According to Raza, these were friends he had known for nearly two decades, and Afridi simply assisted at his request.
Sikandar Raza Rejects Police Claims on Shaheen Shah Afridi in PSL 2026 Incident
Raza strongly disagreed with how the police described the situation, especially claims about Shaheen Shah Afridi's role.
"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."
Punjab Police Letter Flags PSL 2026 Breach Involving Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sikandar Raza
The issue became public after the police letter surfaced on social media on Sunday. It claimed that Lahore Qalandars, along with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sikandar Raza, had violated security protocols. According to the letter, permission to allow visitors into Raza's room had already been denied by PCB security officials, the anti-corruption manager, and PSL CEO Salman Naseer.
Despite this, the letter alleged that the players still brought visitors up to the room. It also mentioned that while Raza said the visitors stayed for around 40 minutes, officials believed they were there for nearly three hours. Attempts by ESPNcricinfo to get a response from Naseer have not been successful so far.
Lahore Qalandars Respond to PSL 2026 Incident Involving Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sikandar Raza
People within the Lahore Qalandars setup have largely agreed that the visit did happen. However, they strongly deny any claims that the visitors were brought in forcefully.
Raza also shared more details to support his version of events and emphasised that the situation was personal for him.
"We [the visitors and he] have been friends for 19 years," Raza said. "My wife and kids will also come to see me. Please don't forget that my family and relatives live here [and] I don't get to see [them] all year. Shaheen merely went down on my request. We requested a few members of the PCB, and what happened after that we'll look into it. But it was my call, not Shaheen's, and I know he didn't forcefully escort anyone because I was in the lift with him, too."
Lahore Qalandars and PSL Yet to Take Final Call on PSL 2026 Security Breach
Lahore Qalandars' head of media Umar Farooq also acknowledged the situation in a brief statement.
"We are aware of an incident involving two Lahore Qalandars players, and are in communication with the PSL over the matter."
The police have urged the PSL to take steps to ensure such incidents do not happen again. As of now, neither the PCB nor the PSL has released an official statement regarding the matter.