Fakhar Zaman has been suspended from the Pakistan Super League for two matches.© X (Twitter)
Lahore Qalandars batter Fakhar Zaman has been suspended from the Pakistan Super League for two matches after being found guilty of altering the condition of the ball. The charge, classified as a Level III offence, carries a minimum one-match ban. The incident happened on Sunday during the final over of Qalandars’ narrow defeat to Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The decision was taken during a full disciplinary hearing conducted by Match Referee Roshan Mahanama in line with the PCB Code of Conduct.
The incident happened on Sunday during the final over of Qalandars’ narrow defeat to Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The on-field umpires penalized Lahore Qalandars with five runs, and the ball was replaced before the last over of Karachi Kings’ chase.
While Fakhar denied the charges, the controversy-which has come under heavy scrutiny-shifted the focus back to a similar incident during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
During the match between Pakistan and co-hosts USA in Dallas, Fakhar was involved in a similar incident. After Monank Patel hit Shaheen Afridi for a six, Fakhar, who was standing at mid-on, tucked the ball under his shirt, raising eyebrows within the USA camp.
He held the ball under his shirt with both hands for a sustained period, with his finger movements suggesting that the act did not resemble the routine process of shining the ball.
While the USA won the match in the end, they did suffer a collapse after Fakhar’s act. The USA camp had reportedly filed a report over the matter, but no formal charge was brought at the time, nor was the complaint made public.
Fakhar will now miss Qalandars’ match against Multan Sultans on April 3 at the Gaddafi Stadium and Islamabad United on April 9 at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi.
Qalandars sit second in the points table with two points from two matches.
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