Lahore Qalandars' opening batter Fakhar Zaman has been handed a two-match ban in PSL 11 after the Pakistan Cricket Board found him guilty of a Level 3 breach of the tournament's Code of Conduct. The decision was confirmed by PCB on March 31, following an incident during the Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings match at Gaddafi Stadium on March 29.
The controversy erupted just before the final over of Karachi Kings' chase. On-field umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Aafreedi, along with TV umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Tariq Rasheed, intervened after detecting that the ball's condition had been altered. Lahore Qalandars were penalised five runs and the ball was replaced. As a result, Kings' target in the final over dropped from 14 runs to just 9 — which they chased in three balls to seal a four-wicket victory.
Fakhar was charged under Article 2.14 of the PSL Code of Conduct, which covers altering the condition of the ball in breach of playing conditions. He denied the charge during the disciplinary hearing conducted by match referee Roshan Mahanama, but was ultimately found guilty. The verdict can be appealed within 48 hours to the PSL Technical Committee.
Fakhar will miss Lahore's fixtures against Multan Sultans on April 3 and Islamabad United on April 9.
