Lahore Qalandars opener Fakhar Zaman’s appeal against his two-match suspension has been rejected by the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Technical Committee.
Zaman had challenged the decision of match referee Roshan Mahanama, who suspended him for two HBL PSL matches for allegedly breaching Article 2.14 of the Code of Conduct for players and player support personnel during the Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings match on Sunday, 29 March, at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
The appeal was reviewed on Thursday by the PSL Technical Committee, which comprises Professor Javed Malik, Dr Mumraiz Naqshband and Mr Syed Ali Naqi. After conducting a de novo inquiry, examining all evidence, and hearing submissions from the relevant parties, the committee dismissed the appeal and upheld the original two-match ban.
What happened in Karachi, Qalandars match?
An interesting situation had arisen during the PSL 11 match when the umpire awarded Karachi Kings a five penalty runs against Lahore Qalandars after being dissatisfied with the condition of the ball during Karachi Kings’ innings, as it appeared to have been tampered with.
The Lahore Qalandars found themselves at the centre of a ball condition-changing controversy after being penalised five runs for allegedly altering the condition of the ball during the final over of their match against the Karachi Kings. The Kings ultimately secured victory with three balls to spare.
The incident unfolded after 19 overs of the second innings, when the Kings required 14 runs to win with Haris Rauf set to bowl the final over for the Qalandars. Shaheen Afridi, Rauf and Fakhar Zaman briefly gathered near the bowler’s run-up, each handling the ball at some point. Umpire Faisal Afridi closely observed the interaction and immediately called for a ball inspection.
However, Karachi Kings defeated Lahore Qalandars by four wickets in a thrilling match of PSL 11. In the high-profile game played in Lahore, Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi won the toss and chose to bat first.
Read more: Islamabad United beat Quetta Gladiators by 8 wickets in PSL 11 clash
