New Delhi, March 31 Pakistani veteran Fakhar Zaman has been suspended for two matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 for ball tampering. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed this on Tuesday.
It is noteworthy that on March 29, Karachi Kings needed 14 runs from the last six balls against Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium. Just before the start of the last over, Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Fakhar Zaman were standing together and discussing the ball in their hands. Fakhar was seen scratching the ball.
The on-field umpire determined that the condition of the ball had been deliberately tampered with. Consequently, Lahore Qalandars were penalized 5 runs and the old ball was replaced with a new one. With this, the match’s equation changed, and Karachi Kings needed just 9 runs from 6 balls to win. Abbas Afridi hit a four and a six to give the team a 4-wicket victory.
The charge against Fakhar Zaman relates to a violation of Article 2.14, which relates to altering the condition of the ball. Fakhar was charged by on-field umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Afridi, TV umpire Asif Yaqoob, and fourth umpire Tariq Rashid. However, Fakhar denied the offense and decided to challenge the charge, following which a disciplinary hearing was held.
A Level 3 offense carries a ban of at least one match and a maximum of two matches. Under the Pakistan Super League’s Code of Conduct, players have the right to appeal to the tournament’s Technical Committee within 48 hours of receiving the match referee’s written decision.
Match referee Roshan Mahanama made the decision after reviewing the evidence and hearing Fakhar. Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, team director Sameen Rana, and manager Farooq Anwar were present during the hearing.
Lahore Qalandars will play against Multan Sultans on April 3 and Islamabad United on April 9, in which Fakhar Zaman will not be allowed to play.
