Fakhar Zaman was urged to lift the two-match ban, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) turned it down in an incident related to ball tampering during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). The incident occurred during the Lahore Qalandars vs. Karachi Kings match.
During the match, an incident caught the eyes of the on-field umpire as three players of Lahore Qalandars, including Zaman, were handing over the ball to each other. Umpire Faisal Afridi requested the ball from Rauf and conducted an inspection, followed by a lengthy discussion with the second on-field umpire, Sharfuddoula.
Why did the officials accuse Fakhar Zaman?
The officials concluded that the condition of the ball had changed in a deliberate attempt. It is assumed that they did this to gain some advantages in the dying moments of the match.
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The match was in its final phase when Fakhar Zaman was involved in the controversial act. Karachi needed 14 runs to win the match in the final over.
The match was eventually won by Karachi, handing Lahore a four-wicket defeat. The task for Karachi batters shaped more easily when the umpire gifted them 5 runs as a penalty to Lahore, accusing them of altering the condition of the ball.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took the matter into its strong hands and acted according to the rules to prevent any kind of IPL practices on the field.
PCB banned the batter for 2 PSL 2026 matches
“After reviewing all evidence and hearing submissions from relevant individuals, the committee has dismissed the appeal and upheld the two-match ban,” the PCB said in an official statement. “In accordance with the Code of Conduct, any decision made by the PSL Technical Committee shall be the full, final, and complete disposition of the matter and will be binding on all parties.”
Fakhar Zaman was found guilty of breaching Article 41.3 of the PSL playing conditions. As it was the first allegation against him regarding this issue, the board sanctioned a 2-match ban on him. In the future, if he repeats the same, the verdict will be stricter than before.
Under this rule, Zaman will not be able to play Qalandars’ upcoming fixtures against Multan Sultans on April 3 and Islamabad United on April 9.
The board has turned down the request of Fakhar Zaman
Latest media reports suggested that the player requested the board to reconsider their decision to prevent him from playing for two games. PCB has reportedly rejected the batter’s appeal in a clear response.
“Fakhar Zaman appealed the decision of the Match Referee to suspend him for two PSL matches for breaching Article 2.14 of the applicable Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel during the Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings match on Sunday, March 29, at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore,” said a PCB release.
“The appeal was heard today by the PSL Technical Committee comprising Professor Javed Malik, Dr Mumraiz Naqand, and Syed Ali Naqi. Pursuant to conducting a de novo inquiry, reviewing all evidence, and hearing submissions from relevant individuals, the Committee has dismissed the appeal and upheld the two-match ban imposed by Match Referee Roshan Mahanama,” the official release mentioned further.
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