In a recent Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings, a ball-tampering scandal unfolded. The controversy arose during the Kings’ chase when umpire Faisal Afridi inspected the ball after it passed between Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar. Following a discussion with the other umpire, Sharfuddoula, a decision was made to replace the ball due to tampering suspicions.
During the post-match presentation, Lahore skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi faced questions about the incident but appeared uncertain in his responses. When pressed by Pakistan cricket legend Ramiz Raja, Afridi denied any wrongdoing, stating that he was not involved in altering the ball. The controversy led to the Kings being awarded five penalty runs and the selection of a replacement ball for their batters.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Fakhar Zaman has been charged with a level-III offense, which could result in a ban of one to two matches for a first violation in the PSL season. Match referee Roshan Mahanama will oversee a hearing in the coming days to address the charge against Fakhar.
