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[Saba Sports News] During the intense HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoff race on Sunday night, Lahore Qalandars’ Sikandar Raza faced a 10% match fee fine. His sanction came following visible dissent against umpire decisions in a pivotal game against Quetta Gladiators. In the nail-biting match at Karachi’s National Stadium, where the Gladiators clinched a last-ball six-wicket victory chasing 167, Raza’s repeated objections to the umpiring led to his penalty for violating the PSL’s Level 1 conduct code.
Specifically, his actions—raising arms, shaking his head, and signaling for wide balls—breached Article 2.8 during his team’s 166/4 innings. Umpires Chris Gaffaney and Rashid Riaz subsequently charged him, with match referee Ali Naqvi imposing the fine post-game.
The match was marked by high drama, highlighted by Saud Shakeel’s match-winning 88* for Quetta and Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s rapid 55, setting up a competitive total. Despite the match’s excitement, Raza’s performance was subdued, contributing a meager six runs without taking any wickets.
As PSL 2024 heads towards its climax, teams are fiercely competing for a spot in the eliminators, with the final scheduled for March 18 in Karachi.