ISLAMABAD: The tussle between Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar and renowned sports analyst Dr. Nauman Niaz has gained spotlight once again, with the latter taking the battle to the court of law.
The contention resurfaced when, on May 25, Shoaib Akhtar made a transparently disrespectful remark about Dr. Nauman Niaz during an episode of the cricket show “The Dug Out”, streamed on Tamasha app.
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The former fast bowler said that Dr Niaz used to be the “bag career” for the team, with the unmistakable inference that he was beneath the sportsmen. However, this is only the latest statement by Shoaib Akhtar said in a derogatory manner against the sports journalist.
The first time this battle of words hit the headlines was in 2021, when the two got involved in a heated exchange live on PTV Sports. At that time Shoaib Akhtar had walked off the set in protest. Days and weeks following that clash seemed to show that the matter had been resolved between the two, but the social media sphere did not let the feud get out of public attention. Nevertheless, the involvement of a legal counsel is a major move in this continued fiasco.
Now, Dr. Niaz has taken the matter to the legal authorities, with a notice being issued to Akhtar.
Dr. Niaz’s legal counsel has called the recent remarks by Akhtar “patently false, baseless, and defamatory.” He has also described the behavior of the sportsman as a “malicious, one-sided campaign,” in public and on media platforms.
In the legal notice issued to the pacer, on May 29, 2025, Advocate Qazi Umair Ali has accused Shoaib Akhtar of ‘distorting facts’ and ‘deliberately undermining Dr. Niaz’s legacy’ as one of the most respected sports broadcasters and journalists in Pakistan.
The notice also mentions multiple high-level positions held by Dr. Niaz within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and his prolific contributions to sports journalism. The Tamgha-e-Imtiaz awarded to Dr. Niaz for his services to Pakistan cricket is also part of the notice statement.
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The counsel argues that Shoaib Akhtar continues to make disrespectful statements, publicly and without evidence, which has caused – and continue to cause – distress and reputational damage to Dr. Niaz. He contends that these statements have also caused professional harm to the plaintiff, not just within the media but also among his business partners and stakeholders within the sports community.
The notice, issued as part of Pakistan’s Defamation Ordinance 2002, also hints at potential further proceedings unless Shoaib Akhtar offers a public apology and retracts his statement.
