Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and overseas player Sikandar Raza have been accused of breaching security protocols at their team hotel, officials said on Monday.

Muhammad Faisal, DIG (Operations, Lahore), has written to the PSL CEO highlighting a serious violation of security measures put in place for the eight teams staying at a five-star hotel in the city.

According to Faisal, the duo ignored repeated warnings and were found hosting four guests in Raza’s room on the eighth floor until 1:25 am.

Raza denied any wrongdoing, saying, “One thing should be remembered: by birth I am a Pakistani and a few family members will come to meet me.

The previous protocols were that I couldn’t go out of the hotel, but I could meet my family members, close cousins and friends inside the hotel.”

In a letter to the PCB, Lahore’s liaison officer had sought permission for the four visitors, but the request was declined “in accordance with the security protocols in place”.

The same request was later turned down by PCB Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer.

Police officials said the players disregarded the directives and escorted the visitors to Raza’s room on the eighth floor “despite resistance from the on-duty security personnel”. The guests remained in the room until 1:25 am.

Lahore police have informed the PCB and asked it to review the conduct of the two players.

“Ensuring strict compliance with security protocols is essential to avoid any untoward and potentially harmful situations,” the police letter stated.

Responding to the fresh directives, Raza said he has now agreed to fully respect the security protocols.

“The four friends who came yesterday, I have known them personally for a long time, so it was nice to see them. I wasn’t aware of this (the security protocols),” he added.

Also read: Fakhar Zaman rejects ball-tampering claims in PSL