An ugly incident unfolded at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday during the PSL 2026 clash between Islamabad United and Rawalpindiz, when compatriots Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Amir got involved in a heated confrontation after the fast bowler gave a fiery send-off to the batter.
The incident took place on the third ball of the 17th over. Amir dished out a slower bouncer as Ashraf attempted to play the ramp shot towards third man, but the ball brushed his gloves and went straight to the wicketkeeper.
Following the dismissal, Amir’s animated send-off did not sit well with Faheem. The all-rounder charged back at Amir, pointing his bat towards him while exchanging a few words. Amir, in response, brushed it off initially before returning with a verbal retort of his own, briefly escalating tensions on the field.
Faheem was eventually restrained by two Rawalpindiz players before he made his way back to the dugout, bringing the situation under control before it could spiral further.
About the game
Rawalpindiz opted to bowl first and began with a spin-heavy approach, keeping things tight in the early overs. However, it was the pacers who provided the breakthroughs, with Amir and Naseem Shah striking with well-executed slower deliveries as Islamabad found themselves in trouble at 30 for three in the seventh over.
Devon Conway and Mark Chapman then stitched together a steady 49-run partnership to stabilise the innings. But it was fellow New Zealand international Daryl Mitchell who broke the stand, dismissing Conway with a catch at long-on, while Chapman was trapped lbw by Asif Afridi.
As Islamabad struggled to accelerate on the slow Karachi surface, an injury to Naseem forced captain Mohammad Rizwan to turn to part-time options. One such gamble, Mitchell, was taken apart by Chris Green, who smashed 6, 4, 4 in quick succession to score a valuable 29 and help Islamabad post 137 at the end of 20 overs.
Rawalpindiz, meanwhile, continue to search for their first win of the season, having lost all eight matches so far — a run that has already resulted in their early elimination. Islamabad, on the other hand, sit comfortably in third place on the points table with four wins from seven matches, keeping their playoff hopes firmly on track.