Fakhar Zaman was requested to have his two-match ban lifted but was rejected by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over a ball-tampering incident during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). The incident occurred during the Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings match.
An incident during the match caught the attention of the on-field umpire when three Lahore Qalandars players, including Zaman, were passing the ball to each other. Umpire Faisal Afridi asked for the ball from Rauf and inspected it, followed by a lengthy discussion with the other on-field umpire Sharafuddaula.
Why did the officials charge Fakhar Zaman?
Officials concluded that the position of the ball had been changed in a deliberate attempt. It is believed that he did this to gain some advantage in the last moments of the match.
The match was in its final stages when Fakhar Zaman was involved in a controversial act. In the last over, Karachi needed 14 runs to win the match.
Ultimately Karachi won the match and Lahore lost by four wickets. The task became easier for Karachi’s batsmen when the umpire accused them of changing the position of the ball and gave 5 runs as penalty to Lahore.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took the matter in its strong hands and took action as per the rules to stop any kind of IPL practices on the field.
PCB bans batsman for 2 PSL 2026 matches
“After reviewing all the evidence and hearing the arguments of the individuals concerned, the committee has rejected the appeal and upheld the two-match ban,” the PCB said in an official statement. “As per the Code of Conduct, any decision taken by the PSL Technical Committee will be the full, final and complete disposal of the matter and will be binding on all parties.”
Fakhar Zaman was found guilty of violating Article 41.3 of the PSL playing conditions. Since this was his first allegation regarding this issue, the board banned him for 2 matches. If he repeats the same in future, the decision will be even harsher than before.
Under this rule, Zaman will be unable to play in Qalandars’ upcoming matches against Multan Sultans on 3 April and Islamabad United on 9 April.
The board has rejected Fakhar Zaman’s request
Latest media reports suggest that the player has requested the board to reconsider its decision of barring him from playing in two matches. The PCB has reportedly rejected the batsman’s appeal in an apparent response.
“Fakhar Zaman has appealed against the match referee’s decision to suspend him for two PSL matches for breaching Article 2.14 of the Code of Conduct applicable to players and player support personnel during the Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings match at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday, March 29,” a PCB release said.
The official release further read, “The appeal was heard today by the PSL Technical Committee consisting of Professor Javed Malik, Dr. Mumrez Naqand and Syed Ali Naqi. After conducting a fresh investigation, reviewing all the evidence and hearing the arguments of the persons concerned, the committee has dismissed the appeal and upheld the two-match ban imposed by match referee Roshan Mahanama.”
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