New Delhi: Veteran Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman is under the scanner for ball-tampering in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). Zaman, 35, finds himself in hot water for the controversial incident, and if found guilty, he could face a suspension in the ongoing PSL 2026.
The controversy rocked Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament on Sunday after the on-field umpires awarded five penalty runs to Karachi Kings after finding Lahore Qalandars guilty of changing the condition of the ball. The incident occurred before the first ball of the final over of the game, where the Kings needed 14 runs.
The penalty reduced the target to 9 runs, and the Karachi franchise didn’t find any difficuilties in overhauling the target.
Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar were in conversation before the start of the final, and cameras caught the veteran batter holding the ball.
The umpires immediately changed the ball, and after the match, Zaman was charged with a level 3 offence for allegedly altering the condition of the ball. While he denied any wrongdoing during an official meeting with match referee Roshan Mahanama, the final verdict will decide his fate.
Fakhar Zaman’s ball-tampering incident in T20 WC 2024 emerges
Amidst the ongoing investigation, a report claims that this is not the first time Zaman has come under scrutiny for ball-tampering allegations.
As per a report by Cricbuzz, a similar incident was reported during the 2024 T20 World Cup clash between Pakistan and the USA in Dallas. According to the report, after being hit by Shaheen for a six by Monank Patel in the 13th over, Zaman was caught by the cameras collecting the ball and hiding it under his jersey.
USA players alleged that Zaman held the ball for a prolonged period, with noticeable finger movements and even approached fourth umpire Rod Tucker to raise their concerns after the match. Monank also reportedly documented the matter in his post-match captain’s report along with a verbal complaint to match referee, Jeff Crowe. However, Zaman escaped without punishment as no charges were levelled at the time.