Fakhar Zaman to face BAN for THIS number of matches in PSL 2026 ball-tampering case - Reports

Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf were accused of changing condition of ball during LAH vs KK match in PSL 2026.

Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings met for the 6th match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026. The match was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 29th March. The match made headlines for several things, but one of the things that is on the mind of almost every fan is the ball-tampering attempted by the Shaheen Afridi-led side.

The controversy took place at the start of the final over of Karachi Kings’ chase. With just 14 runs needed off last over, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf gathered in a huddle and the opening batter was seen rubbing the ball with some substance. Umpire Faisal Afridi was quick to take the note of it and stopped play to check the ball.

As per PSL rules, the umpires replaced the ball and Karachi Kings were also awarded five penalty runs. The penalty runs had a big impact on the match as Karachi needed only nine runs in the last over instead of 14. Abbas Afridi then hit a four and a six off Haris Rauf to seal the win quickly.

Fakhar Zaman set to face ban for PSL 2026 ball-tampering incident – Reports

Following the incident, Fakhar Zaman has come under massive scrutiny after being charged with ball tampering in PSL 2026 clash. As per the reports in ESPNCricinfo, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has termed it a Level-III offence.

This means Fakhar could face a ban of at least one match. The maximum punishment for a first offence in a PSL season is two matches. Match referee Roshan Mahanama will conduct a hearing soon. Fakhar has decided to contest the charge and defend himself.

After the match, Shaheen Afridi said he was not fully clear about the incident. He said:

“I don’t know about this and we’ll see if it’s there in the camera and discuss what it is. Actually, five runs taken and we can’t do anything. Like, you can’t say. Not for me, my team is fighting till the last ball, which I need for every game.”

Meanwhile, Karachi Kings’ Hasan Ali was also fined 10% of his match fee. His celebration after taking Haseebullah’s wicket was considered aggressive. It was ruled a Level-I offence under PSL rules.

For now, the hearing in the coming days will decide Fakhar Zaman’s fate for the upcoming games. The match added to one of the most controversial tales of PSL.

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