PSL ball-tampering: Fakhar Zaman could be banned for one or two matches

Lahore Qalandars were penalised five runs in their game against Karachi Kings, and Fakhar Zaman now faces a hearing with match referee Roshan Mahanama

Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi

Published: Mar 30, 2026, 3:41 AM (4 hrs ago)

Fakhar Zaman is staring at a ban for at least one match after he was charged with changing the condition of the ball in Lahore Qalandars' four-wicket defeat to Karachi Kings in their PSL 2026 game on Sunday.

The Qalandars' player, a PCB statement said, has been charged with a level-III offence, which carries a minimum ban of one match and a maximum of two for a first violation in a PSL season. Match referee Roshan Mahanama will conduct a hearing in the next two days and Fakhar will contest the charge.

The incident took place at the start of the last over of the Kings chase when on-field umpire Faisal Afridi took the ball from Haris Rauf for inspection after it had exchanged hands between Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar. Faisal indulged in a lengthy discussion with Sharfuddoula, the other on-field umpire, and the two decided to bring in a replacement ball, deeming it to have been tampered with.

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Kings were awarded five penalty runs and their batters - Khushdil Shah and Azam Khan - were allowed to select the replacement ball.

This was done in accordance with the clause 41.3 of the PSL playing conditions that allows the umpires to "make frequent and irregular inspections of the ball". The playing conditions say that "in addition, they shall immediately inspect the ball if they suspect anyone of attempting to change the condition of the ball".

Clause 41.3.5.1 allows the "batter at the wicket" to opt for the replacement ball from the "selection of six other balls of various degrees of usage" and clause 41.3.5.3 has a stipulation of five penalty runs to be awarded to the batting side if they seek for a replacement ball after it has become possible for umpires to identify the player or players responsible for changing its condition.

At the post-match presentation ceremony, Afridi appeared to say he was unclear on why the penalty runs were awarded: "We'll see [what the umpires say]".

The five penalty runs proved pivotal in Kings' chase as they brought down the equation from 14 off the last six to nine off six. The match was sealed within two legal balls as Abbas Afridi struck Rauf for a four and a six.

Separately, Kings' Hasan Ali was fined 10% of his match fee for the celebration of Haseebullah's wicket in the 19th over. His actions were deemed a level-I offence that breached article 2.5 of the PSL code of conduct, which pertains to "using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon dismissal".

Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi is a cricket journalist based in Lahore

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