The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended Lahore Qalandars batter Fakhar Zaman for two matches in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after finding him guilty of ball-tampering in Sunday’s match against Karachi Kings.
“Fakhar Zaman has been suspended for two HBL PSL matches after he was found guilty of a Level 3 offence for breaching Article 2.14 of the applicable Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel during the Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings match on Sunday,” PSL said in a media release.
“Fakhar denied the offence and contested the charge at a full disciplinary hearing in accordance with the code of conduct. Match Referee Roshan Mahanama conducted the disciplinary hearing and made the determination after reviewing all evidence,”
the statement added.
Fakhar, who has denied the charge, now has 48 hours to appeal match referee Roshan Mahanama’s verdict.
When did Fakhar allegedly tamper with the ball?
Just before the final over, several Qalandars players, including captain Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar and Haris Rauf, were seen gathering and repeatedly handling the ball under the umpire’s watch. The unusual sequence raised immediate suspicion, prompting the on-field umpire to intervene and call for a replacement ball, with the fourth umpire stepping in amid confusion.
Officials ruled that the ball’s condition had been altered, leading to a five-run penalty. The timing proved costly, as Lahore, who were defending 14 runs, suddenly had only nine to protect in the final over. The decision significantly shifted momentum and ultimately played a decisive role in Karachi’s successful chase.
Has Fakhar Zaman tampered with the ball before?
The controversy has revived scrutiny of an incident during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash between Pakistan and the USA in Dallas in 2024. Fakhar was seen holding the ball under his jersey unusually, prompting concerns. According to Cricbuzz, USA players flagged it to officials, but no formal action followed.
Pakistan’s uncomfortable history with ball tampering
Ball tampering has been an uneasy part of Pakistan’s cricket history, almost as prominent as match-fixing, but less popular. From the 1980s to the 2000s, there were several allegations of ball tampering against some prominent cricketers, but only a small percentage led to punishments.
