LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) was hit by controversy after Fakhar Zaman was charged with ball-tampering during a match between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday.
The incident took place in the final over, with Karachi needing 14 runs to win.
Fakhar briefly conferred with captain Shaheen Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf. During the exchange, Fakhar and Rauf passed the ball between them.
An on-field umpire then inspected the ball. After consulting the square-leg umpire, officials awarded five penalty runs to Karachi and replaced the ball.
PCB Files Charges
The PCB charged Fakhar with a Level 3 offence under Article 2.14 of its code of conduct, which covers altering the condition of the ball.
The case also falls under Article 41.3 of PSL regulations.
Fakhar denied the charge during an initial hearing led by match referee Roshan Mahanama.
Officials will hold a full hearing within 48 hours. The referee will then issue a final decision.
Karachi pacer Hasan Ali was separately fined 10% of his match fee for a code breach. He admitted the offence and accepted the sanction.
Penalty Proves Decisive
The five-run penalty shifted momentum. Karachi chased down the 129-run target with three balls to spare.
Abbas Afridi sealed the win with a boundary and a six.
Team Response and Possible Ban
After the match, Shaheen said the team would review footage before commenting.
“We will check the video and then discuss it,” he said.
Fakhar, 35, could face a one- or two-match ban if found guilty. The case has drawn comparisons with the 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal involving David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft.
