Fakhar Zaman (Image credit: PSL)

Pakistan star batter Fakhar Zaman was allegedly caught red-handed on live television for tampering with the ball during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) clash between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium. He appeared to be caught on camera, prompting on-field umpires to intervene, speak to captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, and eventually change the ball. Fakhar was also criticised by former Pakistan cricketers.Despite the uproar, Fakhar has denied the ball-tampering charges. Appearing before former Sri Lankan cricketer and match referee Roshan Mahanama, he rejected the allegations.The 35-year-old opener was charged on Sunday by Mahanama with a Level 3 offence under Article 2.14 of the PSL Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.He was found to have violated Article 41.3 of the PSL playing conditions, which prohibits any action that alters the condition of the ball.The charge relates to an incident just before the final over of Karachi Kings’ innings, when they needed 14 runs to win. Fakhar was seen in discussion with Haris Rauf and captain Shaheen Afridi before the over.Shortly thereafter, umpire Faisal Afridi took the ball into his custody and inspected it. After consulting with the other on-field umpire, it was determined that the ball’s condition had been altered.The match referee is expected to hold another hearing within the next 48 hours before delivering a verdict.The umpires penalised Lahore Qalandars five runs for altering the condition of the ball and subsequently replaced it. This left Karachi Kings needing nine runs in the final over, which they successfully chased down.All-rounder Abbas Afridi sealed the victory by hitting Rauf for a four and a six after the bowler had delivered a wide.If the match referee confirms the offence, Fakhar — and potentially the Lahore Qalandars as a team — could face serious penalties.

Shaheen Shah Afridi (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Pakistan Cricket Board has doubled down on ensuring the smooth conduct of the Pakistan Super League 2026, but a fresh controversy has emerged involving two senior Lahore Qalandars players. Amid ongoing concerns over a possible two-day lockdown due to a fuel shortage in the country, skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and all-rounder Sikandar Raza have reportedly breached strict security protocols laid out for the tournament. The duo allegedly allowed four individuals to stay inside Raza’s hotel room for more than two hours, in violation of isolation and safety guidelines. The PSL is currently being conducted under heightened security arrangements, with more than 6,000 police personnel deployed alongside AI-based surveillance systems and drone monitoring. Due to security concerns and regional tensions, the tournament has been limited to two venues — Lahore and Karachi — and is being held behind closed doors without spectators. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier stressed the importance of hosting the league despite the situation. “We don’t know how long the current situation will persist, but hosting the PSL is essential. It is an international brand, and foreign players are involved. Everyone is eager for the PSL to go ahead,” he said. Following the reported breach, Lahore’s Deputy Inspector General of Police Faisal Kamran has formally notified the PCB and PSL authorities through an official letter. The matter is now expected to be investigated, with disciplinary action likely. At the very least, a fine could be imposed, while a match ban remains a possibility. Concerns have also been raised that failure to act could set a poor precedent for other players. The letter further claims that the team’s liaison officer had initially sought permission from the PCB to allow the four visitors into the hotel room, but the request was denied. A similar request from franchise owner Sameen Rana was also rejected. Despite this, Raza allegedly went ahead and allowed the visitors, even after security personnel advised against it. Confirming awareness of the situation, Qalandars’ head of media Umar Farooq said, “We are aware of an incident involving two Lahore Qalandars players, and are in communication with the PSL over the matter.” With the tournament already being conducted under strict security measures, the incident has raised fresh questions around discipline and adherence to protocols within team environments.

Shadab Khan and Shahid Afridi (Agency Image)

Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan captain, has taken a swipe at Shadab Khan following the all-rounder’s post-match comments, reminding him of the challenges of handling success. Afridi said that while former Pakistan players had struggled to defeat India in World Cups, Shadab’s team managed it in 2021.After Pakistan’s 102-run win over Namibia in Colombo in their Group A match of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the 27-year-old Shadab was asked about criticism from former stars like Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf. He reminded the media that he had been part of the side that beat India in the 2021 World Cup in Dubai.

Following Pakistan’s defeat to India earlier in the tournament on February 15, Afridi and Yousuf had suggested dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab in favour of giving youngsters a chance. But under Salman Ali Agha’s leadership, Pakistan bounced back emphatically against Namibia, securing a Super 8s berth.In the Namibia game, Shadab shone with an unbeaten 35 and picked up three wickets, producing a near-perfect all-round performance. Yet his comments at the post-match press conference have sparked criticism among former players.Afridi responded, saying: “Shadab was absolutely right when he said that we didn’t beat India in the World Cups, but his side did. They got respect after that, but they couldn’t handle it. By the respect thing, I mean that after they defeated India, they could not handle the issues between them. Shadab should also know that when he was not able to perform for the team, we guys stood up for him on national television, saying he is the backbone of the team.”“I know Shadab, he is a very good guy, he has always spoken to us respectfully. When people talked about us during our playing days, we always backed up our words with our actions on the field. Not against the smaller teams, we used to perform against the bigger teams,” Afridi added.The former captain urged Shadab to let his performance answer the critics during the upcoming Super 8s matches against New Zealand, England, and Sri Lanka. “So Shadab beta, aap bhi performance kariye. Beta performances karo. We stood by you in your difficult times; you didn’t play domestic cricket, yet you still got into the national team. If you want to answer us, then do it by performing on the field. Perform and let the World Cup get over, we will get quiet after that,” Afridi said.Pakistan will kick off their Super 8s campaign on Saturday against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi and teammate Usman Tariq leave the field after Pakistan lost their T20 World Cup game against India (AP Photo)

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi launched a scathing attack on the senior core of the Pakistan national cricket team after their crushing 61-run defeat to India national cricket team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at R Premadasa Stadium.Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India dominated the Group A clash on Sunday, handing Pakistan a heavy blow and leaving them in a must-win situation against Namibia to have any chance of reaching the Super 8s.

Afridi, speaking on Samaa TV, did not hold back and urged the team management to make bold calls ahead of the crucial fixture. He called for the exclusion of senior players including Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, stating that they had been given ample opportunities over the years without delivering consistent results. Notably, Shaheen is married to Afridi’s daughter Ansha.“Drop Shaheen, drop Shadab, and drop Babar. Try fresh faces against Namibia and give the new players a chance to build confidence. They’ve been playing for a long time. Whenever we expect them to perform, they don’t. If these senior players aren’t giving us the performances we desire, then play the juniors who are sitting on the bench. What is the difference?”, Afridi said during a Live show.Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted after the match that the spinners failed to deliver on a surface that offered assistance.“We were believing in our spinners, and they had an off day today. Execution was missing in some parts of the game. We were obviously going to always believe our spinners, because they’ve done really well in last six month. And with the batting I think we didn’t start well and in T20 games if we lose 3 or 4 wickets in powerplay, you are always chasing the game,” he said in the post-match presentation ceremony.Salman also criticised the batting unit for not adapting to the conditions.“I think, to be very honest, like in first inning it was a bit tacky. The ball was gripping as well. So, the execution was, I think, missing when it comes to bowling, but I think the pitch better played better in the second inning than first inning. But our bowlers like, we didn’t bowl according to the situation. And when it comes to batting, we didn’t apply ourselves and gave us a chance to go deep in the game,” he said.