Lahore Qalandars batter Fakhar Zaman has been handed a Fakhar Zaman PSL suspension after the Pakistan Cricket Board said he was found guilty of a Level 3 offence during Sunday’s match against Karachi Kings. The left-handed opener has been suspended for two PSL matches following the incident at Gaddafi Stadium on March 29.
The PCB said the charge related to a breach of Article 2.14 of the Code of Conduct, which covers changing the condition of the ball in violation of PSL playing conditions. Fakhar denied the offence, but the charge was upheld after a full disciplinary hearing.
The incident took place in the closing moments of Karachi Kings’ innings, when on-field umpires penalised Lahore Qalandars five runs and ordered the ball to be changed before the final over. The decision came after a short discussion between Fakhar, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf. Fakhar and Rauf were then seen passing the ball between them before it was checked by the umpire.
After consulting officials, the umpires imposed the penalty and replaced the ball. The moment proved costly for Lahore, as Abbas Afridi then struck a four and a six to seal a four-wicket Karachi Kings win with three balls remaining.
Maybe this is the instance ball tampering took place by Fakhar Zaman.
Umpire immediately asked for the ball and then went onto impose 5 runs penalty. #PSL #LahoreQalandars #BallTampering https://t.co/uacE0V22Ze pic.twitter.com/K1SumN2hMw
— Waqas Habib Rana (@waqas464) March 29, 2026PCB Confirms Two-Match Ban after Hearing
According to the PCB, on-field umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Aafreedi, TV umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Tariq Rasheed levelled the charge against Fakhar. Match referee Roshan Mahanama later reviewed the evidence and heard the player’s response before issuing the suspension.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, team director Sameen Rana and team manager Farooq Anwar were also present during the proceedings. Under the PSL Code of Conduct, a Level 3 offence carries a minimum one-match ban and a maximum two-match suspension. Appeals must be filed with the PSL Technical Committee within 48 hours of the referee’s written decision.
Read: Lahore Qalandars Fine Shaheen Afridi Over Security Breach
Fakhar will now miss Lahore Qalandars’ next two fixtures: against Multan Sultans on April 3 in Lahore and Islamabad United on April 9 in Karachi. His absence is a setback for the side as it looks to recover from the defeat to Karachi Kings.
Speaking after the match, Shaheen said the team would review the matter internally. He said they would discuss the five-run penalty, but stopped short of making further comment immediately after the game.
