Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman is facing a possible suspension after being charged with ball tampering during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 match. The incident happened during Lahore Qalandars clash against Karachi Kings on Sunday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Fakhar has been charged with a Level-III offence. This is a serious breach of the PSL code of conduct. If found guilty, he could be banned for at least one match. The maximum punishment for a first offence is a two-match ban.
Ball Tampering Incident Sparks Controversy in Final Over
The incident took place at the start of the final over of Karachi Kings’ run chase. Fast bowler Haris Rauf was about to bowl when umpire Faisal Afridi decided to inspect the ball. The ball had just been passed between Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar Zaman.
After a long discussion with the second umpire, Sharfuddoula, the officials ruled that the ball’s condition had been unfairly changed. They immediately replaced the ball with another one.
As per PSL rules, Karachi Kings were awarded five penalty runs. Their batters, Khushdil Shah and Azam Khan, were allowed to choose the replacement ball.
The decision proved crucial. The target was reduced from 14 runs in the final over to just nine runs. Abbas Afridi then finished the game quickly with a four and a six off the first two balls.
Match referee Roshan Mahanama will conduct a hearing within the next two days. Fakhar Zaman is expected to challenge the charge.
Interestingly, Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi said after the match that he was not fully aware of why the penalty was given. He added that the team would wait for the officials’ explanation.
In a separate incident, Karachi Kings pacer Hasan Ali was fined 10% of his match fee. He was punished for his aggressive celebration after taking a wicket.
The match ended in a four-wicket win for Karachi Kings. However, the controversy around Fakhar Zaman has now taken the spotlight.
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