Shocking! Fakhar Zaman tampered with ball vs USA in T20 World Cup, ICC did not act

Pakistan cricket has once again found itself in a big controversy, all thanks to Fakhar Zaman. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially accused Lahore Qalandars opener Fakhar Zaman of ball tampering during the PSL 2026 clash against Karachi Kings on March 30 in Lahore.

The timing of this allegation could not be worse for the PSL. The league is already dealing with multiple issues—from security breaches involving players to hosting matches without crowds due to safety concerns and some off-field issues.

PSL controversies leave PCB frustrated

These events have already affected the tournament’s image, and now this ball-tampering drama has added more pressure on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its boss, Mohsin Naqvi.

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The incident happened in the final over of Karachi’s chase. Fakhar was accused of changing the condition of the ball, and Karachi Kings were awarded five extra runs; the ball was replaced, and the target dropped from 14 runs to just 9.

Karachi made the most of the situation and comfortably chased the revised target with three balls still left, as Lahore suffered a four-wicket defeat in the PSL 2026 clash.

Fakhar Zaman faces a possible ban as the hearing approaches

Soon after the match, the PCB charged Fakhar Zaman under a Level 3 offense under Article 2.14 of the PSL code. A hearing is expected to take place within the next couple of days, and if found guilty, Fakhar could face at least a one-match ban.

It is being said that the match referee, Roshan Mahanama set to conduct a hearing this week. However, Fakhar has denied doing anything wrong, and the final decision will depend on the match referee’s review of the incident.

PSL incident reopens Fakhar Zaman’s ‘Unusual’ ball handling in the 2024 T20 World Cup

Adding to the woes, this ball-tampering controversy has also brought back old memories. Fakhar was involved in another suspicious moment during a 2024 T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and the USA in Dallas. During that game, some USA players noticed something strange, reported Cricbuzz.

Fakhar Zaman took the ball, slipped it under his shirt, and held it there with both hands for quite some time. His fingers were moving in a way that didn’t look like the normal “shine-the-ball-with-sweat” action that players usually do.

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Normally, a player just uses one hand or lightly rubs the ball on the shirt. But this two-handed movement under the jersey made the USA players feel something wasn’t right.

USA team reported Fakhar’s actions, but no action was taken

And what happened after that left many shocked. When the 13th over ended, the USA needed just 56 runs from 42 balls, had nine wickets in hand, and had just smashed Shaheen for a big over. But suddenly, the ball started reversing a lot more than before.

The USA batters found it harder to hit, and the match eventually ended in a tie, and the USA had to win it in the Super Over. The USA dugout players and support staff immediately approached the fourth umpire, Rod Tucker, and told him what they saw. After the match, USA captain Monank Patel also mentioned the incident, and they even reported it to the referee, Jeff Crowe.

But no formal action was taken, and the issue slowly died down without any action or anything. The ICC was asked about the incident later, but the global body also maintained silence.