Former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik, now a TV host on Har Lamha Purjosh, has sparked controversy with his offensive remarks on ex-wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal during a live broadcast.
Controversy often follows Pakistan cricket, and Shoaib has long been at the heart of it. As the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 progresses, Pakistan finds itself caught up in multiple disputes, with the most notable being clashes of opinion among its own players.
Kamran Akmal was subjected to offensive remarks by one of his ex-teammates and a panel expert on ARY News.
The controversy began when Malik initiated the discussion, asking a panellist about his thoughts. He then joked about Kamran, leading to reaction from Malik.
“Nabeel bhai, you were about to mention something,” former Pakistan captain and show host, Shoaib Malik, said.
This is pure harassment on live show 😭
— lakshman (@rebel_notout) February 26, 2026
Nabeel Gabol (Jameel Jamali of Dhurandhar) takes a jab at Kamran Akmal’s pink jacket, suggesting he’d be labeled "differently" if he were in the U.S.
Instead of diffusing the situation, Shoaib Malik doubles down, joking that those same… pic.twitter.com/TUZZa4Qgr1
He answered, “There was a bit of confusion. I was looking at his [Kamran Akmal’s] pink jacket. If he would wear the same pink jacket in America, they would have called him with some other name.” The panellist openly criticized Kamran Akmal’s outfit.
“But right now, I’m wearing it in Pakistan, so it’s not something you can say here. In America, they’d probably call me cute for wearing it.” Akmal responded.
Malik, however, didn’t let it go and continued: “You could understand or even say the same thing to him here in Pakistan,” he added, triggering laughter from the studio audience.