Lahore Qalandars’ opening batter Fakhar Zaman is facing a significant Level 3 charge for allegedly altering the condition of the cricket ball during a HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 match, an accusation he has formally denied.
The charge was brought under Article 2.14 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, citing a violation of Article 41.3 of the tournament’s playing conditions. The incident reportedly took place during the second innings of the contest, according to a statement today.
Fakhar contested the allegation during an initial disciplinary hearing conducted by Match Referee Roshan Mahanama. A subsequent hearing is scheduled to occur within the next 48 hours, after which a final verdict will be delivered.
In a separate disciplinary matter, Karachi Kings’ fast bowler Hasan Ali has been penalised with a fine equivalent to 10 per cent of his match fee for a Level 1 infraction of the code of conduct.
Hasan was found to have breached Article 2.5, which pertains to “Using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during a Match”.
The fast bowler’s violation occurred on the final delivery of the 19th over of the Lahore Qalandars’ innings following the dismissal of batter Haseebullah. In contrast to Fakhar, Hasan admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee.