A fresh controversy hit the Pakistan Super League when Lahore Qalandars all-rounder Sikandar Raza and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi were accused of violating hotel security protocols after four “unauthorized” visitors reportedly entered the team’s hotel room. According to a Punjab Police letter sent to PSL chief executive Salman Naseer, Raza and Afridi allegedly “forcibly escorted” the visitors despite earlier denials from security.
Raza, however, has strongly denied the allegations. He clarified that the four visitors were his lifelong friends and family, and that Afridi only helped him at his request. “Shaheen didn’t force anyone,” Raza told ESPNCricinfo. “My friends and family had come and at my request, Shaheen helped them (up to my room). If these were the SOPs, I didn’t know, and to some extent, Shaheen didn’t know either. The culprit here is me, not Shaheen. He came down at my request because they were my closest family and friends; I didn’t want to meet them in the business centre. We sat upstairs for 40 minutes.”
Raza also emphasized the personal context, noting that he has known the visitors for 19 years and rarely sees his family and children, who were also part of the group. “Please don’t forget that my family and relatives live here and I can’t see them all year,” he said. He reiterated that Afridi simply followed his instructions and did not act independently.
The police letter stated that approval for the visitors had been sought from both the PCB security director and the Qalandars liaison officer, but these requests were denied. The letter suggested that denials were ignored and that visitors remained 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 that any forced entry had taken place. PCB media head Umar Farooq confirmed that the board is aware of the incident and is in communication with the PSL. The police have urged the PSL to review the matter and avoid similar incidents in the future.