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Babar Azam super angry at the umpires [Source: X]
The Peshawar Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars PSL 2026 match reached a new boiling point of controversy on April 25. During the match, Zalmi skipper Babar Azam was seen participating in a heated altercation with the on-field umpires over a ball change.
While Babar Azam is seen as a figure of calm and composure as a Pakistan veteran, he was seen angrily venting out frustration towards the umpire as the on-field exchange went on for about two good minutes.
Peshawar Zalmi In Control Before Qalandar Chase
The Peshawar Zalmi were in complete control of the game before Babar Azam lost his cool on the field. Scoring a solid 199, Lahore Qalandars had the difficult task of chasing 200 runs on the board.
Babar himself was the second-highest scorer of the match with his 45-ball 59, while Michael Bracewell smashed a 45-ball 83 to rack up the mammoth total.
With this impressive score on the board, Zalmi came in with a clear mind to dismantle the Qalandars. However, frustration was visible on the field as two overs passed without any damage, with openers Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Naeem cruising comfortably on the track.
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The Babar Azam vs Umpires Clash In PSL 2026
The Babar vs the umpires incident took place during the fourth ball of the third over when the umpires were forced to change the ball back-to-back two times inside these three overs.
As soon as the umpires called for a ball change after the fourth ball of the third over while Khurram Shehzad was bowling, Azam grabbed the ball in his hand and directly charged at the on-field umpires to question their decision.
Babar expressed his frustration over the back-to-back change of the balls on behalf of the Peshawar Zalmi, which would have strategically hurt their plan to utilise a new ball perfectly to dismiss the opponents.
Babar Azam was constantly trying to negotiate with the umpires to stick with the old ball, as he pointed out that the damage caused to the ball was because of the batters and not the bowling team.
Over a span of two to three minutes, Babar Azam was seen angrily debating with the umpires, pointing fingers at them and visibly showing his frustration with the ball in his hand.
Can Umpires Change Balls Multiple Times During Live Match?
The umpires were correct in their standpoint, since in T20 games, a back-to-back ball change is possible if they believe it is absolutely necessary for the match.
If the ball keeps becoming wet, gets out of shape, or gets damaged, the umpire can decide to change it immediately. The ultimate authority on the field lies with the umpires to ensure if a ball is fit for play. Hence, Babar questioning the umpires should be a disciplinary issue in the first place.
However, the replacement ball must have a similar level of wear and tear to the ball it is replacing, not a brand-new ball. Hence, whether the quality was maintained by the umpires was doubtful too.
Will Babar Azam Get Punished For Fighting With Umpires?
Notably, this is an offensive act, and players are known to be punished for arguing or challenging umpires' decisions on the field.
The ICC Code of Conduct classifies these actions as dissent and can be imposed by the PSL too if they find that Babar's act was one of dissent and offence.
While a Level 1 offence gets an official reprimand with a fine of up to 50% of the match fee, a Level 2 offence, which indicates direct arguing and use of offensive language or conduct with the umpire, can impose a fine of 50–100% of the match fees and a ban for 1–2 games for the player.
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