Fakhar Zaman has been suspended for two matches after being found guilty of ball-tampering during Lahore Qalandars’ Pakistan Super League clash against Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday.
The Lahore Qalandars batsman was found to have violated Article 2.14 of the PCB’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which deals with changing the condition of the ball in violation of Article 41.3 of the PSL Playing Conditions.
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The charges were leveled by on-field umpires Faisal Khan Aafreedi and Sharfuddoula Saikat along with TV umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Tariq Rasheed.
Fakhar denied wrongdoing and decided to challenge the allegations at a full disciplinary hearing conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
Match referee Roshan Mahanama oversaw the hearing and delivered the verdict after reviewing the evidence and giving Fakhar an opportunity to be heard in person. Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, team director Sameen Rana and team manager Farooq Anwar were also present during the meeting.
Fakhar will miss the matches of Lahore Qalandars against Multan Sultans in Lahore on April 3 and Islamabad United in Karachi on April 9.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE BALL TAMPERING SAGA?
The incident occurred in the final of Karachi Kings’ dramatic four-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars when the match ended with three balls to spare. Chasing 14 off the last ball, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi were seen tampering with the ball during a brief exchange during the bowler’s run-up, prompting umpire Faisal Afridi to call for a review.
After consulting with fellow referee Sharfuddoulou, the officials ruled that the Qalandars had deliberately changed the condition of the ball. Karachi were subsequently awarded five penalty runs and the ball was replaced, reducing the equation to nine from six.
Although Khushdil Shah was run out on the first ball of the over, Haris Rauf then bowled an outside off before Abbas Afridi hit a four and a six to seal a thrilling win for the Kings.
With Fakhar unavailable, Lahore Qalandars could turn to right-handed batsman Tayyab Tahir, who is yet to feature this season but has played 10 PSL matches in his career.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
31 March 2026 16:52 IST
