Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja, who retired from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes Test against England in January 2026, came out in support of Usman Tariq, the Pakistan spinner, after Cameron Green was spotted making the ‘chucking’ gesture on live TV after losing his wicket in the second T20I between the two teams last week. Green, who was batting well, lost his wicket to the 28-year-old, and when he was making his way back to the dugout, the all-rounder was seen making some gestures, which social media users interpreted as ‘chucking’.
It is worth noting that Tariq’s action has come under the scanner twice in the Pakistan Super League (PSL); however, he was cleared after testing. Green’s actions led to an intense debate surfacing on social media, where users were divided on the legality of the bowling action.
However, Khawaja has now openly come to Tariq’s rescue, saying the spinner cannot be questioned; hence, his action was deemed fit by the concerned authorities.
“There aren’t many things worse than being called a chucker in cricket. The stigma is real. The man is just doing his best and has been cleared twice. Let’s have some perspective and understanding and stop jumping to conclusions,” he wrote on Instagram Stories.
Tariq just featured in the one T20I against Australia, and he returned with figures of 2/16. He is part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad and is expected to play a major role in the side’s campaign in the upcoming tournament, which gets underway on February 7 against the Netherlands.
Tariq’s action explained
Earlier, Tariq explained his bowling action, saying that biological issues are the reason behind his bowling sidearm.
“There are two corners on my elbow which make it hard for me to straighten. That causes confusion for the spectators. I have given two tests at labs in Pakistan. My action was cleared. As you can see from before, in history, when any spinner had allegations (of chucking) against them, they went to the lab. They tried to change their actions and develop the right degrees,” he said while speaking to the National.
“When I went for the test, within one week, it was cleared. I didn’t get the answer that you have to change your action, or improve the degrees. I was confident about my action because I know that I am not throwing,” he added.
Pakistan defeated a depleted Australian side 3-0 in the three-match T20I series. Both teams travelled to Sri Lanka for the World Cup on Monday.
