Hacked or Not? Naseem Shah’s Viral Tweet on Maryam Nawaz Divides Pakistan

The Naseem Shah tweet on Maryam Nawaz lasted only a few minutes on the timeline. But in Pakistan’s internet age, a few minutes is more than enough.

A post appearing on fast bowler Naseem Shah’s verified X account during the PSL 11 opening match at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday night set off one of the more entertaining social media storms of the cricket season before being quietly deleted and blamed on hackers.

What the Tweet Said

The post in question was a quote retweet of an official PCB media update showing Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi greeting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz at the curtain-raiser between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen.

The message attached to the retweet read, “Why is she treated like the queen at Lords?”

Within minutes, the post had been screenshotted, shared, and dissected across X, WhatsApp groups, and cricket forums. Opinions split sharply; some fans found the comment refreshingly candid, others called it inappropriate, and a significant portion simply enjoyed the chaos.

By the time most people saw it, the tweet was already gone.

The Setting That Sparked It

To understand the context, it helps to know what was happening at Gaddafi Stadium that evening.

Maryam Nawaz attended the PSL 11 opener as the guest of honour, a role that came with the full ceremonial treatment. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi personally welcomed her upon arrival, introduced her to franchise owners from all six competing teams, and facilitated a meet-and-greet with players from both sides ahead of the first ball.

She addressed the gathering, extended her best wishes to all competing teams, and took her seat in the stands as the tournament got underway.

It was a high-visibility appearance, exactly the kind that generates both goodwill and scrutiny in equal measure.

Naseem’s Explanation: The Account Was Hacked

Facing rapidly mounting attention, Naseem Shah responded with a statement that will be familiar to anyone who has followed Pakistani celebrity social media controversies: the account was hacked.

“This account of Naseem was recently hacked but now recovered successfully,” the clarification read, framing the viral post as the work of an unauthorised party rather than a personal opinion from the bowler himself.

The statement did its job, officially, at least. The tweet was deleted, the clarification was posted, and the matter was put to rest on the record.

This account of Naseem was recently hacked but now recovered successfully.

The Part Nobody Is Saying Out Loud

Whether the account was genuinely compromised is something only Naseem Shah and his team know for certain. What is undeniable is that the “hacked account” explanation has become one of the most well-worn exits in Pakistani public life, deployed by politicians, celebrities, and cricketers alike whenever a post creates more heat than intended.

That is not to say it is never true. Accounts do get hacked. High-profile individuals are frequent targets. But the pattern, controversial post, rapid deletion, and hacking claim, has repeated itself often enough that Pakistani social media users have developed a healthy scepticism toward it.

The comment itself, meanwhile, touched a nerve that goes beyond one tweet. The presence of political figures at cricket events, particularly in ceremonial roles that place them visibly above the sport’s own officials and players, has long been a source of quiet frustration within parts of the cricketing community. Naseem’s post, whoever wrote it, gave that frustration a voice.

At 21, Naseem Shah is one of Pakistan’s most important fast bowling assets. He is also, increasingly, a figure whose public profile extends well beyond the cricket pitch. This incident will not define him; it is too minor and too quickly resolved for that.

But it is a reminder that in the era of verified accounts and instant screenshots, the line between a private thought and a public statement has effectively disappeared. For cricketers of Naseem’s generation, social media is both a platform and a liability, and the two can switch roles in the time it takes to hit retweet.

The PSL, meanwhile, rolls on. Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen played their opener. The chief minister extended her best wishes. And Pakistan’s fastest bowler spent the evening explaining a tweet he says he never wrote.