The Pakistan Super League witnessed a major controversy in its opening weekend as Lahore Qalandars and national team star batter Fakhar Zaman faced ball-tampering allegations.
The incident took place on Sunday during the defending champions' match against Karachi Kings.
In the final over of the match, Karachi needed 14 runs for victory. During the break between overs, Fakhar, Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf had a brief discussion. There, Fakhar and Rauf were seen passing the ball between them.
Thereafter, the umpires asked to see the ball. Following consultations with the square-leg umpire, the officials awarded five penalty runs to Karachi and ordered the ball to be changed.
The decision proved critical. Karachi now needed nine runs from six balls. Abbas Afridi hit a four and a six as Karachi chased down a target of 129 with three balls to spare, securing a four-wicket victory.
But more than the result, the ball-tampering allegations are likely to have a bigger impact. Fakhar has denied the allegations, which means there will be a more thorough investigation over the next few days.
“Fakhar denied the charge levelled against him during a disciplinary hearing led by the match referee Roshan Mahanama,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
“Another hearing is set to take place within the next 48 hours after which the match referee will share his verdict.”
Lahore captain Afridi was measured in his repose to the penalty runs at the end of the match.
“I don't know about this, and we'll see if it's there in the camera and discuss it,” Afridi said on Sunday night.
Fakhar could face a ban of one or two matches if found guilty of ball-tampering for a first offence in the PSL.
This was the second ball-related controversy in this year's PSL. In the opening match between Lahore and Hyderabad Kingsmen, the white ball turned pink during the course of the first innings, forcing the umpires to change the ball after 15 overs.
Cricket has a long list of ball-tampering incidents. The most famous one was in 2018 when Australian trio David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were handed lengthy bans during the infamous tour of South Africa.
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was banned for two matches in 2010 for one of the most blatant incidents of ball-tampering. Afridi was caught on camera biting the ball during a match against Australia.
In 2006, Pakistan refused to take part in the Oval Test against England after the umpires awarded the opposition five penalty runs for alleged ball-tampering by Pakistan.
