The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially confirmed that Lahore Qalandars batter Fakhar Zaman faces a serious Level 3 offence. Fakhar Zaman denied the serious ball-tampering allegations leveled against him during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 match against Karachi Kings on Sunday, March 29.
The match at the Gaddafi Stadium was completely overshadowed by a ball-tampering scandal. On-field umpires intervened right before the final over of the run chase. After inspecting the ball, the officials awarded Karachi Kings five penalty runs. Karachi Kings secured the victory by four wickets in the final over.
The incident happened just before Haris Rauf began the final over of the match. Karachi Kings needed 14 runs from six balls in the run chase. Fakhar Zaman was caught on camera handling the ball while standing in a huddle alongside Rauf and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Umpire Faisal Afridi observed the interaction and immediately called for a strict inspection after Fakhar passed the ball to the bowler. Following a lengthy on-field discussion, the umpires concluded that Lahore Qalandars had deliberately altered the condition of the ball.
As a result, the umpires awarded Karachi Kings five penalty runs, which reduced the target. The chasing side needed just nine runs from the final over. Karachi Kings comfortably chased the revised target with three balls to spare. Abbas Afridi finished the job, sealing a crucial four-wicket victory.
Fakhar Zaman Denies Allegations After PCB Charges Him with Level 3 Offence
Following the match, the PCB released an official statement confirming that Fakhar Zaman was charged with a Level 3 offence. Match referee Roshan Mahanama led the initial disciplinary hearing regarding the incident.
Fakhar denied all the serious ball-tampering allegations leveled against him. Since he rejected the official charge, another hearing is scheduled to take place within the next 48 hours.
“Lahore Qalandars’ Fakhar Zaman has been charged with a Level 3 Offence under Article 2.14 of the applicable Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, for violating Article 41.3 of the HBL PSL 11 playing conditions, which makes it an offence to take any action which changes the condition of the ball,” the PCB said in an official statement.
“Fakhar denied the charge levelled against him during a disciplinary hearing led by the Match Referee Roshan Mahanama. Another hearing is set to take take place within the next 48 hours after which the Match Referee will share his verdict. The incident occurred during the second innings of the match,” the statement added.
We’ll See If It’s There on Camera - Shaheen Afridi on Ball-Tampering Allegations
Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi was frustrated with the umpire’s decision. During the post-match presentation, he was asked about the controversial penalty but avoided giving a direct answer, stating that the team management would review the official footage.
He also expressed confusion over the five-run penalty and said that his team fought hard until the final delivery against Karachi Kings.
“I don't know about this and we'll see if it's there in the camera and discuss what it is,” Afridi said.
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