Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been hit by ball-tampering controversy during Lahore Qalandars match against Karachi Kings on Sunday, with Lahore Qalandars’ player Fakhar Zaman being charged for ball-tampering.
However, Fakhar has denied the charge. “Fakhar denied the charge levelled against him during a disciplinary hearing led by the match referee Roshan Mahanama,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
“Another hearing is set to take place within the next 48 hours, after which the match referee will share his verdict,” the statement also said.
If found guilty, the minimum punishment for a Level 3 offence is a one-match ban.
The controversial moment happened with Karachi needed 14 runs in the final over, and pacer Haris Rauf was set to bowl. At that moment, Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Rauf were seen in discussion at the top of the run-up. During that exchange, the ball was passed around between them, which is common in pressure situations.
However, umpire Faisal Afridi intervened and asked for the ball. He examined it closely and then had a detailed discussion with fellow umpire Sharfuddoula. After their inspection, the umpires decided that the ball had been tampered with. They awarded five penalty runs to Karachi and replaced the ball. This meant Karachi now needed 9 runs from the final six balls.
The tension continued. Karachi’s Khushdil Shah was dismissed on the first ball of the over, but Rauf followed it with a wide. Soon after, Abbas Afridi hit a four and a six to guide Karachi to a four-wicket win in 19.3 overs.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is now expected to review the footage and the match referee’s report in detail. The aim is to check whether the condition of the ball supports the umpires’ decision.
If the referee upholds the call, Fakhar and possibly the Lahore Qalandars team could face serious penalties.
