Following Fakhar Zaman’s conviction for ball tampering during the Lahore Qalandars’ four-wicket loss to Karachi Kings on Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) punished the cricketer for two PSL games.
The 35-year-old disputed the accusation during a disciplinary hearing, but Roshan Mahanama, the match referee, upheld the offence and levied the harshest penalty allowed.
“Fakhar Zaman has been suspended for two HBL PSL matches after he was found guilty of a Level III offence,” the PCB said in a statement on Tuesday.
In the last over of Karachi’s run chase, Fakhar, fast bowler Haris Rauf, and Lahore skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi got into a discussion during which Fakhar and Rauf passed the ball to one another.
Before giving the batting side five penalty runs and directing the ball to be replaced, the umpire came up to Rauf and demanded to examine the ball.
Due to fuel shortages caused by the Middle East conflict, the PSL is being played behind closed doors in Lahore and Karachi. This has drawn criticism amid a number of disciplinary issues.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah was fined 20 million Pakistani rupees ($72,000) for a social media post that seemed to disparage Maryam Nawaz, the chief minister of Punjab.
After Afridi was charged by authorities of violating security procedures at the team hotel—an event that also implicated Zimbabwe T20 captain Sikandar Raza—Lahore fined him around PKR 1 million.
