Sipu Jha
Fakhar Zaman has failed in his attempt to overturn a suspension, with the Pakistan Super League’s appellate body upholding a two-match ban for ball tampering during a recent fixture. The Lahore Qalandars opener had challenged the punishment imposed by match referee Roshan Mahanama, but a three-member committee dismissed the appeal after reviewing the evidence in detail. “Fakhar Zaman appealed the decision of the Match Referee to suspend him for two PSL matches for breaching Article 2.14 of the applicable Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel during the Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings match on Sunday, 29 March at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore,” a PCB release stated. The appeal was heard by a technical committee comprising Professor Javed Malik, Dr Mumraiz Naqshband, and Syed Ali Naqi, who conducted a fresh review of the case before reaching their verdict. “The appeal was heard today by the PSL Technical Committee… Pursuant to conducting a de novo inquiry, reviewing all evidence, and hearing submissions from relevant individuals, the Committee has dismissed the appeal and upheld the two-match ban imposed by Match Referee Roshan Mahanama,” the release added. The charge relates to Article 2.14, which deals with “Changing the condition of the ball in breach of clause 41.3 of the PSL Playing Conditions”. As per regulations, a Level 3 offence carries a minimum penalty of a one-match ban and a maximum of two matches. The incident took place in the closing stages of the match against Karachi Kings, when on-field umpires penalised Lahore Qalandars by awarding five runs to the opposition. The ball was also replaced before the final over. The complaint was raised by umpires Shahid Saikat and Faisal Khan Aafreedi, along with TV umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Tariq Rasheed. Fakhar denied the allegations and opted for a formal hearing, where he presented his case in the presence of team officials, including captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, team director Sameen Rana, and manager Farooq Anwar. However, with the committee’s decision now final and binding, Fakhar will miss Lahore Qalandars’ upcoming matches against Multan Sultans on April 3 in Lahore and Islamabad United on April 9 in Karachi.
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