PSL Ball Tampering: In a shameful display of sportsmanship, players of Lahore Qalandars (Pakistan Super League) – captain Shaheen Afridi, pacer Haris Rauf, and Fakhar Zaman were caught tampering with the ball during the recent PSL match between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings on Sunday. As per a report from ESPNcricinfo, the umpire Sharfuddoula, who was stationed at square-leg during the match, had a brief discussion with captain Shaheen Afridi, and then decided to penalise the franchise for its deliberate act of altering the conditions of the ball.
The incident happened before the 19th over of the game, when Haris Rauf was brought in to defend 14 runs in the final over. Due to the penalty imposed on Lahore, the tally of 14 was reduced to 9, with five runs added to Karachi’s total.
The flagship T20 league for Pakistan is into 11th edition, but this incident could become the biggest controversy in the tournament’s history.
Is there a video? There is a clip from the match that is circulating on social media. However, NewsX does not claim the video to be completely authentic. The video features Shaheen, Haris, and Fakhar being caught in the act. Check out the video here:
Fakhar Zaman doing Ball Tampering 🤯
What you have done Fakhar?
pic.twitter.com/OkstI170Pd— 𝑨𝒎𝒊𝒓 (@Khanu_3) March 29, 2026
What do the cricket laws say?
The laws of cricket prohibit players from changing the ball’s condition, except when it is shining.
Law 41.3.2 specifies that “any player committing an act that alters the state of the ball is guilty of an offence.”
The umpires will inform the match referee, who will take “appropriate action against the involved players.”
David Warner, who received a 12-month ban from Cricket Australia for his involvement in the 2018 Australia ball-tampering scandal, was leading Karachi during the match.
When questioned later about the incident, Qalandars’ captain and Pakistan international Shaheen Afridi stated: “I have no knowledge regarding this.”
“We will see if it is that in the camera. We will discuss.”
Karachi Kings won by 4 wickets
With just 9 runs to get in the last over, Karachi completed a chase by four wickets to earn their second win in the tournament.
