Just as the controversies surrounding PSL were finally going down, PSL Player Fakhar Zaman found himself suspended for two matches as he was caught breaching the Level-3 of ICC’S Code of Conduct, via ball tampering. As confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket board on March 31.
The controversy began when Zaman was accused by the on-field umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Aafreedi, along with TV umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Tariq Rasheed. He denied the offence and opted to contest the charge, which led to a full disciplinary hearing.
Fakhar’s team Lahore Qalandars were facing Karachi Kings in their PSL 2026 match. The breach also led to the on-field umpires penalising the Lahore Qalandars five runs and ordered a ball change ahead of the final over of Karachi Kings' innings. Also Read | Fakhar Zaman likely to face a ban post ball tampering incident in PSL game
What is a level 3 offense?
A Level 3 Offense represents serious misconduct that often involves intimidation, threats of violence.
Level 3 offenses carry heavy penalties to punish the player. When a player is found guilty, the Match Referee typically imposes penalty points, match suspension or financial fine.
The decision was made by the match referee Roshan Mahanama who attended the hearing, after Fakhar’s submission. Lahore Qalandars’ captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, team director Sameen Rana and manager Farooq Anwar were present during the hearings.
Post the suspension, Lahore Qalandars will play their next match against Multan Sultans on April 3 in Lahore and Islamabad United on April 9 in Karachi.
Under the PSL Code of Conduct, players have the right to appeal such decisions to the tournament's Technical Committee within 48 hours of receiving the match referee's written verdict.
