Shaheen Shah Afrid gets 24K gold-plated iPhone 16 pro from PSL team, Haris Rauf says, ‘unfair’

New Delhi: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is currently underway, concurrently with the IPL 2025. All leading Pakistani cricketers are participating in the PSL, a tournament featuring six city-based franchises: Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators. Lahore Qalandars is captained by Shaheen Afridi, a highly regarded left-arm fast bowler. While considered among the best in his generation, Afridi’s performance has reportedly been affected since returning from injury.

Cricket player Afridi received a 24-karat gold-plated iPhone 16 Pro from his team as a gift during an on-field presentation. His teammates witnessed the presentation, and Afridi expressed his appreciation for the gift and said: “It is heavy”.

Haris Rauf, a fellow Pakistani and Lahore team member, jokingly protested the situation, commenting on its unfairness.

The scheduling conflict between the IPL and PSL in 2025 forced players to choose between the two leagues. South African cricketer Corbin Bosch faced a one-year PSL suspension from the Pakistan Cricket Board for withdrawing from this year’s tournament after being drafted.

Following his selection by Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League draft, Bosch joined the Mumbai Indians as an injury replacement for the ongoing Indian Premier League.

This year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) overlapped with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Consequently, Bosch chose not to participate in the PSL, prompting the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to send him a legal notice for a purported breach of contract.

Bosch apologized for his PSL withdrawal, expressing remorse to Pakistan, Peshawar Zalmi supporters, and the cricket world. He accepted responsibility for his actions and the resulting penalties.

“I deeply regret my decision to withdraw from the PSL and offer my sincere apologies to the people of Pakistan, the fans of Peshawar Zalmi, and the wider cricket community. To the loyal fans of Peshawar Zalmi, I am truly sorry for letting you down. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept the consequences, including the penalty fine and the one-year ban from the PSL. This has been a hard lesson, but I am committed to learning from this experience, and hope to return to the PSL in the future with renewed dedication and the trust of the fans.” Corbin Bosch said

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