Fakhar Zaman's Reply To Ball-Tampering Charge By Umpires In Pakistan Super League

Sunday's fixture between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was marred by a major controversy following an alleged ball-tampering incident. Lahore Qalandars' star batter Fakhar Zaman was accused of altering the condition of the ball before the final over of Karachi's chase. In a video that has gone viral on social media, Fakhar, along with Haris Rauf and skipper Shaheen Afridi, was seen engaged in a discussion moments before on-field umpire Faisal Afridi noticed something unusual and intervened. 

The umpire then called for the ball and determined that it had been tampered with. As a result, Karachi Kings were awarded a five-run penalty, and a new ball was issued for the final over.

Following the match, the Pakistan Cricket Board released a statement confirming that Fakhar has been charged by match referee Roshan Mahanama with a Level 3 offence under Article 2.14 of the PSL Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. However, the veteran batter has denied all allegations.

"Lahore Qalandars' Fakhar Zaman has been charged with a Level 3 Offence under Article 2.14 of the applicable Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, for violating Article 41.3 of the HBL PSL 11 playing conditions, which makes it an offence to take any action which changes the condition of the ball," the PCB said in an official statement.

"Fakhar denied the charge levelled against him during a disciplinary hearing led by the Match Referee Roshan Mahanama. Another hearing is set to take take place within the next 48 hours after which the Match Referee will share his verdict. The incident occurred during the second innings of the match," the statement added.

The umpires penalised Lahore Qalandars five runs for altering the condition of the ball and subsequently replaced it. This left Karachi Kings needing nine runs in the final over, which they successfully chased down.

All-rounder Abbas Afridi sealed the victory by hitting Rauf for a four and a six after the bowler had delivered a wide.

If the match referee confirms that the ball was tampered with, Zaman -- and potentially the Lahore Qalandars as a team -- could face serious penalties.

(With PTI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan Cricket Team Fakhar Zaman Shaheen Afridi Haris Rauf Cricket