Fakhar Zaman is at the centre of a fresh controversy after receiving a two-game ban in the Pakistan Super League for a suspected breach involving the match ball. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the sanction following a formal review of the incident during Lahore Qalandars’ meeting with Karachi Kings, and Fakhar has since pushed back against the charge through the disciplinary process.
Key takeaways
- Fakhar Zaman was handed a two-match suspension in the PSL for an alleged Level 3 offence related to the ball.
- The PCB ruled the case under Article 2.14 of its Code of Conduct after Lahore Qalandars faced Karachi Kings.
- The suspected incident occurred moments before the final over of Karachi Kings’ innings, with umpires replacing the ball.
- Fakhar denied any wrongdoing and contested the allegation in a full hearing overseen by the match referee.
- Lahore Qalandars also face additional off-field disciplinary issues this season, including fines for Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.
How the ball incident unfolded
The controversy emerged during the Lahore Qalandars innings against Karachi Kings, with the key moment arriving just before the last over of Karachi’s chase. On-field officials moved to penalise Lahore Qalandars with five runs and substituted the ball, signalling they suspected tampering.
The charges were presented by the match officials involved in the decision-making process: on-field umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Aafreedi, along with TV umpire Asif Yaqoob and the fourth official Tariq Rasheed.
Suspension confirmed after disciplinary hearing
Fakhar Zaman strongly rejected the accusation. A report in Geo News, citing sources, stated that Fakhar challenged his two-game ban connected to the ball-tampering allegations during the PSL fixture versus Karachi Kings. He then formally contested the matter during a disciplinary hearing conducted in line with the league’s Code of Conduct.
Match referee Roshan Mahanama conducted the proceedings and ultimately delivered the final ruling after reviewing the available material and giving Fakhar an opportunity to present his case in person.
The hearing was attended by Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, alongside Lahore’s team director Sameen Rana and team manager Farooq Anwar.
Lahore Qalandars’ next matches and wider disciplinary concerns
The incident lands at a difficult time for Lahore Qalandars, who are next scheduled to take on Multan Sultans on April 3 at the Gaddafi Stadium. They then play Islamabad United on April 9 in Karachi.
Beyond the ball-related case, disciplinary issues have continued to surface around the franchise. Lahore Qalandars’ management fined Shaheen Shah Afridi one million rupees for breaching the PSL security protocol at the team hotel in Lahore.
In a separate action, the PCB’s disciplinary committee imposed a fine of 20 million rupees on fast bowler Naseem Shah. The punishment was linked to a controversial tweet that was said to have violated the terms attached to his central contract.
With multiple developments happening in quick succession, Lahore Qalandars are now managing both on-field scrutiny and off-field fallout early in the PSL season.
