The Pakistan Super League continues to find itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. The build-up to PSL 2026 was already disrupted by multiple overseas withdrawals, and the tournament opener drew criticism after the match ball bizarrely changed colour mid-game. Now, a fresh controversy has further dented the league’s image, with Lahore Qalandars penalised for ball tampering.
During their clash against Karachi Kings on Sunday, several Qalandars players — including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf — were seen gathering just before the start of the final over. The players appeared to handle the ball in succession, all under the watch of the on-field umpire.
The situation escalated when Zaman passed the ball to Rauf, prompting the umpire to intervene and request the ball be handed over instead. What followed was a brief moment of confusion before the fourth umpire stepped in with replacement balls.
After inspection, the umpires ruled that the condition of the ball had been altered, resulting in a five-run penalty for Lahore.
At that crucial stage, the Qalandars were defending 14 runs in the final over with Karachi already five wickets down. However, the penalty reduced the target to just nine runs, significantly shifting the momentum in favour of the chasing side.
Rauf struck early by dismissing Khushdil Shah off the first delivery, but the pressure quickly turned. He conceded 11 runs in the next two balls — including a wide — as Abbas Afridi smashed a boundary and a six to seal a dramatic four-wicket win for Karachi Kings.
Speaking after the match, skipper Shaheen Afridi distanced himself from the incident, stating that the team would review the footage before drawing any conclusions.
“I don’t know about this. We’ll check the footage and discuss it. The five-run penalty has already been given, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” he said.
