Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez feels the chatter around Usman Tariq is already a psychological win for Salman Ali Agha and his team over India ahead of their T20 World Cup match on Sunday, February 15. Tariq and his unorthodox style of bowling have been the talk of the town ever since he made his international debut and especially in the warm-up match for the India vs Pakistan match.
Both Agha and India captain Suryakumar Yadav were asked questions about the spinner during pre-match press conferenceswith fans and pundits on both sides commenting on the impact it could have on the game. Tariq has played just four T20Is for Pakistan and has 11 wickets to his name at an average of 7.9. While previewing the India vs Pakistan game, Hafeez pointed out how there is panic in the Indian camp over the spinner and special practice is done for his fight.
“If we look at the cricketing aspect, the hype created around Usman Tariq is another psychological victory for us. Right now nobody is talking about Babar Azam or any other player. People are only talking about Usman Tariq. He has only played one or two matches for Pakistan but imagine the amount of panic he has created in the Indian camp. They are specifically training against him.”
“How many times have you seen so much discussion about a single player? The whole media, the hype, the world – they are not only thinking about the result of the match but also what Usman Tariq will do tomorrow,” said Hafeez.
HOW SHOULD PAKISTAN USE TARIQ VS INDIA?
Hafeez claimed that Tariq is a strong character and can win matches for Pakistan on his own. He urged Agha to use the spinner only as an attacking option where he feels the 28-year-old can create the best impact during the India clash.
“Now I want to see how positively Salman Agha makes decisions as a captain and how he uses Usman Tariq. If he uses him defensively, then nothing will help Pakistan. When you use Usman Tariq, you need an attacking mindset. It could even be the sixth over, which I think is always very important for a bowling unit – usually bowled by your most impressive bowler.”
“I want to see what kind of planning they come up with for Usman Tariq because if he is used in the strike zone I think he will make a big impact. I’m not saying Abrar, Nawaz or Shadab won’t make a difference, but right now all eyes are on Usman Tariq,” said Hafeez.
Suryakumar said that Tariq is like a question off the syllabus at this point, but ensured that India would come up with an answer for him.
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Published on:
February 15, 2026