Fakhar Zaman accused of ball tampering in PSL match, Shaheen Afridi’s reaction

New Delhi: Pakistan Super League 2026 is once again embroiled in controversy. In the sixth match of this league, an incident took place which not only raised questions on the credibility of the league but also damaged the image of Pakistani players.

There have been serious allegations of ball tampering in this match played between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings. As a result, the opposition team was awarded five runs as a penalty, further escalating the controversy.

ball tampering allegation

This match was held on 29 March. The umpires noticed some suspicious activity in the final over, after which they decided to take the ball from the bowler and replace it. As a result of this action, Karachi Kings were given a penalty of 5 runs.

Before the final over of the match, Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah, Fakhar Zaman, and bowler Haris Rauf were seen having a conversation. Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman took the ball in his hand, after which the umpire became suspicious of him. The umpire accused Karachi Kings of ball tampering by taking the ball from Haris Rauf and started investigating the matter.

Won in 19.3 overs

Karachi Kings had to score 14 runs in the last over to win. However, Lahore Qalandars made their own defeat easy. Karachi Kings’ target was reduced to 9 runs due to a penalty of 5 runs given by the umpire. After this, Abbas Afridi won the match in 19.3 overs by hitting a four and a six.

Shaheen’s reaction

After the match, Shaheen Shah Afridi avoided commenting on the controversy, saying that his team would go to the dressing room and review the footage to know whether the position of the ball was deliberately changed or not. He said, “I don’t have complete information about it, and we will see if it is caught on camera and then discuss it. Basically, a five-run penalty has been imposed and we can’t do anything now.”