Fresh controversy hit the Pakistan Super League as Lahore Qalandars all-rounder Sikandar Raza and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi were accused of breaching hotel security protocols after four “unauthorised” visitors reportedly entered the team’s hotel room. According to a Punjab police letter sent to PSL CEO Salman Naseer, Raza and Afridi allegedly “forcibly escorted” the visitors despite prior refusals from security. Raza, however, has strongly refuted the allegations. He clarified that the four visitors were his long-time friends and family members, and that Afridi was only assisting him at his request. “Shaheen did not force anyone,” Raza told ESPNCricinfo. “My friends and family had come, and at my request, Shaheen helped them [come up to my room]. If these were the SOPs, I wasn’t aware, and to some extent, Shaheen was not aware either. The culprit here is me, not Shaheen. He went down on my request because it was my close family and friends; I did not want to meet them in the business centre. We sat upstairs for 40 minutes.” Raza also stressed the personal context, noting that he has known the visitors for 19 years and rarely sees his family and kids, who were also part of the group. “Please do not forget that my family and relatives live here, and I do not get to see them all year,” he said. He reiterated that Afridi merely followed his instructions and did not act independently. The police letter claimed that approval for the visitors had been sought from both the PCB security manager and Qalandars’ liaison officer, but these requests were denied. The letter suggested the refusals were ignored, and that the visitors stayed in the room for three hours, contradicting Raza’s account of a 40-minute meeting. Sources within the Lahore Qalandars largely confirmed the incident but denied any forced-entry occurred. PCB media head Umar Farooq confirmed that the board is aware of the incident and in communication with the PSL. The police have urged the PSL to review the matter and prevent similar incidents in the future.
