England all-rounder Liam Dawson has played down the growing hype surrounding Pakistan’s all-rounder Usman Tariq, insisting his side will prepare for the entire opposition rather than be distracted by one name ahead of their crucial T20 World Cup Super 8 clash.
Tariq has gotten tongues wagging in recent months with his unorthodox action and sharp variations, but Dawson made it clear that England’s focus remains on dismantling Pakistan as a unit when the two sides meet in Pallekele on Tuesday.
England boosted their semi-final hopes and commanding a 51-run victory over Sri Lanka on Sunday. Another win would guarantee them a top two finish in their Super 8 group and secure a place in the last four.
However, concerns about England’s top-order batting remain after four of their top five spun at the weekend. Pakistan’s formidable battery of slow bowlers could pose an even sterner test.
Tariq has already caused controversy. During the ILT20, Tom Banton appeared to suggest that the spinner bowled after being dismissed by him. Australia’s Cameron Green made a similar insinuation during a warm-up match against Pakistan before later apologizing.
Still relatively inexperienced, Tariq has made just seven international appearances since making his debut in November. Still, his impact was significant enough for England’s limited-overs captain Harry Brook to emulate his bowling action in the nets in preparation.
Pakistan’s arsenal extends far beyond Tariq. Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha and Mohammad Nawaz offer variety and depth, meaning England’s homework needs to be comprehensive.
“It’s not all about Tariq,” Dawson said. “They are a very good team with some dangerous players and Tariq is obviously a very good bowler.
“But we’re not just going to look at him. We’re going to look at the whole team and see how we can take them down.”
Dawson, along with fellow spinners Will Jacks and Adil Rashid, shared seven wickets against Sri Lanka as the co-hosts were bundled out for 95 in reply to a seemingly modest 146 for nine. The combined effort underlined England’s own strength heading into the clash with Pakistan.
England will play on the new Pallekele pitch and Dawson believes the side have the right balance in their attack. A final decision is still awaited on whether Jacob Bethell can bowl after suffering a cut on his left hand.
“We’re all very different. Out of the three or four of us, I’m probably more of a defensive toner in this one and I know that’s my role and I’m just trying to be consistent for the captain,” added Dawson.
“Adil can use all his tricks and he will come for us to get wickets and get us back into games or put us ahead in games.
“Jacks was great, he used the conditions here very, very well, with the spin he got. So we’re all very different and hopefully we can carry on.”
“We’re all very experienced. If you look at the amount of cricket me and Adil have played, even Jacks, it’s probably just Beth who’s probably got a bit less experience.”
“But there’s a lot of confidence in people going out there and trying to do what you want to try and do.”
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 23, 2026
