Pakistan : The Pakistan Cricket Board has handed Fakhar Zaman a two-match suspension in the Pakistan Super League after finding him guilty of ball-tampering during Lahore Qalandars‘ four-wicket loss to Karachi Kings.
The 35-year-old denied the charge and contested it at a disciplinary hearing, but match referee Roshan Mahanama upheld the offence and imposed the maximum penalty allowed for a Level III breach.
The incident occurred in the final over of Karachi’s chase, when Fakhar was seen in discussion with Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf, during which the ball was passed between Fakhar and Rauf.
Umpires intervened, inspected the ball and awarded the batting side five penalty runs while ordering a replacement.
The PSL, currently being played behind closed doors in Lahore and Karachi due to fuel shortages linked to conflict in the Middle East, has faced increased scrutiny following a string of disciplinary incidents.
Recently, Naseem Shah was fined heavily over a social media post involving Maryam Nawaz, while Afridi was also penalised by his franchise for breaching security protocols in an incident involving Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza.
