The Lahore Qalandars are facing a major setback in the PSL 2026 as opening batter Fakhar Zaman faces a potential one-match suspension.
Zaman has been charged with a Level 3 ball-tampering offence following a controversial sequence during the second innings of the Qalandars’ narrow four-wicket loss to the Karachi Kings on Sunday.
The incident unfolded during a high-pressure moment at the end of the 19th over. Umpires intervened after observing Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Fakhar Zaman handling the ball in quick succession at the top of the bowler’s run-up.
Following a detailed inspection, the officials determined the ball’s condition had been deliberately altered, resulting in a five-run penalty awarded to the Kings and an immediate change of the ball. This penalty shifted the momentum, allowing Karachi to chase down the remaining runs with three balls to spare.
While Fakhar Zaman has denied the charges, a formal disciplinary hearing led by Match Referee Roshan Mahanama is scheduled within the next 48 hours to reach a final verdict.
Under Level 3 guidelines, a first-time violation carries a minimum ban of one match. In a separate disciplinary action from the same game, Karachi Kings’ pacer Hasan Ali was fined 10% of his match fee for a Level 1 conduct breach involving aggressive gestures toward a dismissed batter.