Lahore Qalandars will have to do without Fakhar Zaman for the next fortnight after the left-hander was found guilty of altering the condition of the ball during Sunday night’s four-wicket defeat to Karachi Kings. Match referee Roshan Mahanama imposed the maximum first-offence penalty available under the Pakistan Super League (PSL) code: a two-match ban.
The charge stemmed from the opening delivery of the final over, when on-field umpire Faisal Afridi asked Haris Rauf to hand over the ball. After a chat with fellow umpire Sharfuddoula, the pair decided the ball had been tampered with and called for a replacement. Under article 41.3 of the PSL regulations, that automatically triggered a report.
A formal hearing followed because Fakhar contested the allegation. According to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) release, “Match Referee Roshan Mahanama conducted the disciplinary hearing and made the determination after reviewing all evidence and providing an opportunity of personal hearing to Fakhar. Lahore Qalandars Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Team Director Sameen Rana and Team Manager Farooq Anwar were also present during the hearing.”
The ruling sidelines Fakhar for fixtures against Multan Sultans on 3 April and Islamabad United on 9 April. He is entitled to appeal to the league’s technical committee within 48 hours of receiving the written verdict, though Qalandars sources suggested on Monday afternoon that an appeal is “unlikely” unless fresh evidence appears.
Losing Fakhar is a blow. He remains Qalandars’ leading run-scorer this season, striking at over 140, and forms a top-order partnership with Sahibzada Farhan that sets the tone for their batting. Without him, the champions must reshuffle – Abdullah Shafique or Kamran Ghulam look the obvious replacements – while the balance of the side may need tweaking to compensate for Fakhar’s occasional left-arm spin.
Ball-tampering cases are rare in the PSL. The last substantive incident involved Multan’s Mohammad Irfan Jr in 2022, who served a one-match suspension. In global terms, penalties vary: international cricket usually carries a match fee fine and demerit points for a first offence, unless intent is proven.
For now, though, the focus shifts to how Qalandars cope minus their senior opener – and whether Fakhar chooses to fight the verdict or simply sit out the next two games.
