Lahore Qalandars were penalised for ball tampering during their Pakistan Super League clash with Karachi Kings, a decision that played a key role in the four-wicket defeat.
In the final over, Karachi needed 14 runs to win when umpires awarded five penalty runs to the batting side, ruling that Pakistan international Fakhar Zaman had “unfairly altered the condition of the ball.” Zaman, who has represented Pakistan 215 times, has denied the accusation.
The umpires also replaced the ball at Karachi’s request, leaving the Kings needing just nine runs from six balls. They sealed victory with three balls to spare.
Fakhar appeared at a hearing after the match, which has been adjourned until Monday for further review.
According to cricket laws, players cannot change the condition of the ball except for shining it. Law 41.3.2 states, “it is an offence for any player to take any action which changes the condition of the ball.” Under PSL regulations, the umpires report any such incident to the match referee, who decides the appropriate action.
Karachi’s captain, David Warner – who faced a 12-month ban from Cricket Australia for ball-tampering in 2018 – led his side to the win.
Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi commented after the match, “I don’t know about this. We will review the footage and discuss it.”
The PSL and Pakistan Cricket Board have been contacted for further comment on the incident.
