Is your social media completely littered with clips of Usman Tariq’s bowling action? Honestly, same here. The Pakistan off-spinner dominates the timeline as much as he dominates the crease, with that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it style of delivery fueling as much reading as his wicket haul.
It even started a real war of words between former Indian cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreevats Goswami. The pair got into a good old heated debate about X (formerly Twitter) via Tariq’s round arm technique. The scrutiny has been relentless over the past few months, mostly down to his noticeably bent arm and that excruciatingly long pause he takes just before letting the ball fly.
But let’s be fair – it’s his sheer ruthlessness in T20Is that has everyone talking.
The man is on a tear as he has picked up at least one wicket in each of his last 23 outings. That’s a seriously enviable streak. With the sensational clash against India coming up in Colombo this Sunday, is referred to as the greatest threat to the Man in Blue. He has already made a habit of trouncing batsmen who are usually regarded as spin specialists, making them look quite ordinary with a striking array of variations.
Usually, if you are an off-spinner, the doosra can probably be your ace up the sleeve, right? Well, Usman Tariq doesn’t settle for just one. He actually has several types of googles in his locker, which is a bit like bringing a cannon to a knife fight. Screengrab by JioHotstar
Former Bengal and Royal Challengers Bangalore player Shreevats Goswami publicly called out Tariq’s action during Pakistan’s win over USA in their T20 World Cup match in Colombo. In a scathing post on X, Goswami criticized the extended pause in Tariq’s raid and questioned its legality, comparing it to football penalties.
“Even football doesn’t allow players to pause during a penalty attack anymore. How is that okay? Action – all good. But a pause? That too while loading to deliver. This can’t seriously go on!” Goswami wrote.
Even football no longer allows players to take a break during the penalty shootout.
how is it ok Action – all good. But a break? It also delivers when loading. This can’t really go on! #WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/gIgsjV7RlX— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) February 10, 2026
Goswami’s remarks drew a strong reaction from former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who questioned why pitchers were subject to tighter restrictions while the batsmen had more freedom.
“While a batsman may be allowed to change his strike or reverse without informing the umpire or the bowler after he commits to start batting on one side, why are the restrictions limited to the bowler? In fact, the bowler is not allowed to change the arm he bowls with without informing the umpire! They should change that rule first,” Ashwin replied.
Responding to Ashwin’s reply, Goswami urged him not to frame the discussion as a batsman versus bowler debate and instead focus on the central issue – the pause in Tariq’s action before the dismissal.
Goswami suggested that the lack of smooth action made it difficult for the batters to predict the delivery, which he felt was unfair. He also hinted that Tariq might be bending his arm when he plays his faster variation.
“Let’s not do this bowler vs. PAUSE thing. If a 1 second pause is fine, then 2 is fine, so is 2, then 10 is fine. Cricket is a game of continuity. The pause disrupts the rhythm of the game, and if you look closely, it kind of ‘bends its arms’ as it shuffles the next one while it finds that faster area, hopefully a gray. exchange with Ashwin.
IS USMAN TARIQ CHUCKING?
According to ICC regulations, bowlers are allowed to bend their arm up to 15 degrees when delivering the ball. Usman Tariq has repeatedly claimed that his action has been tested twice in Pakistan and approved on both occasions.
According to Goswami, Tariq does not bowl the ball on his supply but is said to bend his arm while bowling in his faster variation.
Ashwin weighed in again, stating that it is virtually impossible for on-field umpires to judge whether a bowler’s arm is beyond the 15-degree limit during a match. He suggested that while Tariq may have been within limits during testing, deviations during matches could represent a gray area within the law. Ashwin explains Usman Tariq’s action.
WHAT ABOUT PAUSE USMAN TARIQ?
The ICC allows bowlers to pause during their action if it forms part of their natural rhythm. Cricket analyst @BishOnTheRockx on X explained that umpires generally consider the action legal until the bowler plants his front foot during the delivery.
However, the problem lies in the variability of Tariq’s pause, especially when his front foot stays in the air.
“A hitter HAS to jump when he lands completely on his front foot. Usman creates different delays by doing all kinds of things with his front foot – sometimes he floats, sometimes he takes a bigger arc, or his left thigh goes higher, or the sole of his left boot is visible longer than he lands,” the analyst explained.
WHAT EXPLANATION USMAN TARIQ?
Following Cameron Green’s complaints during the T20I series leading up to the T20 World Cup, an older video of Tariq has resurfaced in which the spinner explained the uniqueness of his action.
“There are two horns on my (elbow) which makes it difficult for me to straighten. This creates confusion for the viewers. I would like to say on this platform that every single person who comments on these things should study cricket first,” Tariq said.
“If you don’t have knowledge about cricket and only comment or share your thoughts, then illiteracy can kill knowledge. It’s better to have knowledge and then you can comment on anyone,” he added.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha also strongly defended Tariq during the T20 World Cup press conference, noting that the spinner may also be wearing a banner that his act has been sanctioned by the ICC.
WHAT IS THE ICC PROTOCOL?
The ICC has clear guidelines regarding illegal bowling action. The laws do not allow the elbow to extend more than 15 degrees between the arm reaching horizontal and the release point.
Only the on-field umpire may formally report a pitcher’s action after a game. Once reported, the player is referred to an ICC-accredited testing center where his performance is analyzed using advanced motion sensing technology under the supervision of biomechanics experts.
If a bowler is found to have acted illegally, he is suspended from bowling in international cricket until he changes his course of action and successfully passes a subsequent re-evaluation.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
February 11, 2026