Pakistan’s Tariq sparks controversy with unusual T20 delivery

T20 World Cup – (Web Desk) – Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq has grabbed the spotlight at the T20 World Cup with his highly unusual bowling style. His brief pause before releasing the ball, combined with a statue-like stance at the crease, has caught the attention of fans and opponents alike.

The 28-year-old offspinner’s quirky action seems to unsettle batters, helping him pick up key wickets — including three against a relatively inexperienced United States side in Sri Lanka during his T20 World Cup debut.

However, Tariq’s style has sparked controversy, with some critics questioning whether his pause-and-sling action might count as an illegal “chucking” delivery. He has already been reported twice, though Pakistani cricket authorities cleared him both times.

The debate around Tariq’s bowling is nuanced. Central to the discussion is the ICC’s “15-degree rule,” which limits how much a bowler’s elbow can flex — a threshold nearly impossible for umpires to judge perfectly in real time. Another point of contention is the pause in his run-up, which some experts, including former Indian cricketer Shreevats Goswami, liken to a soccer penalty kick being stopped midway, an action that would be ruled illegal on the pitch.

Batters like Cameron Green of Australia and South African Dewald Brevis are a few notable players that were flummoxed by Tariq’s bowling action.

Pakistan bowler Usman Tariq and his unusual delivery courts controversy at the T20 World Cup. His bowling action has already mesmerized some of the big names in shortest format of game. https://t.co/73HgJ2RoKs pic.twitter.com/kYyHY2idQD

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Power-hitter Brevis fell to Tariq’s only second ball in T20 international cricket in November. Green shook his head in disbelief and mocked Tariq’s bowling action close to the boundary line — but later apologized — when he walked back after slicing a wide delivery straight to the cover fielder during Pakistan’s 3-0 sweep of Australia at Lahore.

Tariq’s rise in T20 cricket has also seen him taking a hat-trick at Rawalpindi when he took 4-18 against Zimbabwe during the tri-series in November. He has taken 11 wickets off his 88 balls in only four T20 internationals.

It was no surprise when selectors included Tariq in the 15-man T20 World Cup squad, knowing that pitches in Sri Lanka would suit slow bowlers more than pacemen.

Tariq’s journey to top-level cricket wasn’t a smooth one. He was twice reported for suspect bowling action during country’s premier domestic T20 tournament — the Pakistan Super League — over the last two seasons, but on both occasions, he was cleared after testing at the

National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

“I have two elbows in my arm,” Tariq said. “My arm bends naturally. I have got this tested and cleared. Everyone feels I bend my arm and all that. My bent arm is a biological issue.”

Tariq has also featured in the Caribbean Premier League and with his deceptive bowling action he was the tournament’s second-highest wicket taker for champions Trinbago Knight Riders.

“The batters are struggling to read Tariq because of the long pause the moment he steps on the bowling crease,” former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has played with Tariq in the PSL’s Quetta Gladiators, told The Associated Press.

“The long pause disturbs all the concentration of batters and when he bowls a fastish (delivery, after a long pause), or even a slow ball, it leaves the batters clueless.”

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Less than three months ago, Tariq said he had dreamed about playing against archrival India. And after Pakistan withdrew its boycott of Sunday’s game in the T20 World Cup, Tariq’s dream could come true if Pakistan uses five spinners against India.

“I wish there’s a match against India and I can win the game for Pakistan single-handedly,” Tariq said then. “My coaches have injected this thing in me that ‘you have to win matches single-handedly’.”

On Sunday against India, Tariq could do just that.