rki.news | Sources: Reuters
Fakhar Zaman has been charged with ball-tampering during Sunday’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) match against the Karachi Kings, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed.
The incident occurred in the final over with Karachi needing 14 runs to win. Fakhar, Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi, and fast bowler Haris Rauf were seen in a brief discussion, during which Fakhar and Rauf passed the ball between them. The square-leg umpire intervened, awarded five penalty runs to Karachi, and ordered a replacement ball.
The penalty proved decisive, as Karachi successfully chased 129, securing a four-wicket victory with three balls remaining, highlighted by Abbas Afridi’s boundary and six.
Fakhar denied the charge at a disciplinary hearing led by match referee Roshan Mahanama. A follow-up hearing is scheduled within 48 hours, after which a verdict will be announced. If found guilty, Fakhar could face a one- or two-match ban, a sanction comparable to the 2018 Australian ball-tampering penalties involving David Warner, Steve Smith, and Cameron Bancroft.