Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketers came down hard on Fakhar Zaman for his involvement in the ball-tampering episode during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match. Not just Fakhar, Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf were also slammed and held equally responsible for the controversy that rocked the league.The incident took place during a PSL clash between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings, with Fakhar finding himself at the centre of a major controversy.Criticising both Fakhar and Shaheen, former Pakistan cricketers Basit Ali and Kamran Akmal did not hold back in their assessment.
“Gaya Fakhar Zaman. Fakhar Zaman to gya [It’s over for Fakhar Zaman]. Since the evidence has come out, I’m sure that he’ll be fined a huge amount,” Basit said on a live TV show.“Punishment toh milegi, mujhe lagta hai milegi. Fakhar pe bhi aur kaptaan (Shaheen) pe bhi. Zimmedari toh banti hai. Lekin captain toh hai na, captain par bhi responsibility hoti hai. [There will be punishment, I feel there will be. For Fakhar as well, and for Haris Rauf and the captain (Shaheen) too. Responsibility does come with it. After all, he is the captain, and the captain also has responsibility],” Kamran said.
PSL ball-tampering : What happened
The incident unfolded when Lahore Qalandars fast bowler Haris Rauf was set to bowl the final over, with Karachi Kings needing 14 runs for victory. As Rauf prepared for his run-up, captain Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar joined him for a brief discussion to chalk out a plan for the final over.What raised eyebrows was that Fakhar appeared to be caught on camera tampering with the ball, while Shaheen, standing beside him, was seen smiling.On-field umpire Faisal Afridi then called for the ball, inspected it, and held a lengthy discussion with fellow umpire Sharfuddoula of Bangladesh.After deliberation, the umpires concluded that the ball had been deliberately altered and awarded five penalty runs to Karachi, reducing the target to nine runs off the final six balls.The ball was also changed.Lahore Qalandars eventually lost the match by four wickets.
