Salman Mirza issues legal notice over false accusations

Pakistan pacer Salman Mirza has issued a legal notice against a local news outlet following the broadcast of what he has described as a “false and defamatory” report alleging misconduct during Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The controversial report claimed that Mirza engaged in inappropriate behaviour, with hotel staff allegedly filing a formal complaint to the team management. 

It further suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had imposed a fine on him for violating the code of conduct.

Mirza’s legal notice highlights several key points: the PCB publicly refuted the allegations through its official X (formerly Twitter) account, describing the report as malicious, fabricated, and completely baseless.

The notice emphasises that no such incident occurred, no fine was imposed, and the story was published without verification, causing reputational harm to Mirza, the PCB and the Pakistan cricket team as a whole.

The notice further alleges that the report was defamatory, portraying the left-arm pacer as disrespectful and unprofessional, thereby lowering his reputation in the eyes of the public and the cricketing community. 

It asserts that the news outlet and its reporter failed in their professional duty to verify facts, knowingly publishing unverified information with malicious intent.

Mirza, who has represented Pakistan in 17 T20 internationals, is seeking redress to protect his personal and professional reputation.

The incident underscores growing concerns about misinformation in sports reporting and the potential legal consequences for media outlets publishing unverified claims.