LAHORE: Lahore Qalandars’ opener Fakhar Zaman has been charged with ball-tampering during Sunday’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) clash against Karachi Kings, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed in a statement.
The incident occurred in the final over of the match when Karachi needed 14 runs to win. Fakhar Zaman, alongside Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf, engaged in a brief discussion, during which Fakhar and Rauf passed the ball between them. The umpire then called Rauf over to inspect the ball, and after consulting with the square-leg umpire, awarded five penalty runs to Karachi and ordered the ball to be replaced.
The penalty proved decisive as Karachi chased down a target of 129 with three balls to spare, thanks to a four and a six from Abbas Afridi in the final moments.
In a disciplinary hearing led by match referee Roshan Mahanama, Fakhar denied the ball-tampering charge. The PCB confirmed that another hearing is scheduled within 48 hours, after which the referee will issue a verdict.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Afridi said the team would review footage of the incident to assess the situation. “I don’t know about this, and we’ll see if it’s there in the camera and discuss it,” he remarked.
If found guilty, Fakhar Zaman could face a one- or two-match suspension for a first offense in the PSL. The incident recalls the 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, which resulted in lengthy bans for David Warner, Steve Smith, and Cameron Bancroft.