Fakhar Zaman appeals PCB ban amid ball-tampering row
Pakistan cricketer found guilty of changing ball condition during a recent PSL fixture
Dubai: Fakhar Zaman has challenged the two-match ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after being found guilty of ball-tampering during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match.
The 35-year-old was accused of changing the condition of the ball during Lahore Qalandars match against Karachi Kings.
Umpires ruled that the ball had been unfairly altered during the second innings, just before the final over.
As a result, Karachi Kings were awarded five penalty runs. The decision proved crucial, as their target was reduced from 14 runs to just nine in the final over, shifting the momentum completely.
Following the incident, a hearing handed Zaman a two-match ban, which he has now appealed to the PSL Technical Committee.
The incident falls under Article 2.14 of the PSL Code of Conduct, which deals with altering the condition of the ball. Under cricket laws, players are only allowed to shine the ball. Law 41.3.2 clearly states that any action taken to change the condition of the ball is considered an offence.
The penalty had a direct impact on the match result. Abbas Afridi capitalised on the revised target, smashing back to back boundaries in the final over to seal a thrilling four-wicket win for Karachi Kings.
Chasing 129 on a tricky surface, Karachi got over the line with three balls to spare despite losing six wickets. UAE international Muhammad Waseem led the chase with 38 off 37 balls, while Saad Baig and Moeen Ali chipped in with 19 and 18 respectively.
Fakhar, who has represented Pakistan in three Tests, 92 ODIs and 120 T20 internationals, now finds himself at the centre of one of the biggest controversies of this PSL season.
