Off-spinner Usman Tariq with his unique stop and pause side-arm action, has already divided the cricket world but India great Ravichandran Ashwin came out strongly in support of the new Pakistani recruit.
Tariq has played 4 T20Is and taken 11 wickets at an astonishing economy rate of less than six runs per over. Across all T20s, he has 70 wickets in just 42 games which is phenomenal and he could be a factor on the slow Premadasa track against marauding India batters.
Pakistan are using him sparingly as one found USA batters like Milind Kumar looking like sitting duck as Tariq regularly delivered with unique action and a visible change in pace without apparent change in momentum.
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With India playing Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo, Tariq has become the talk of the cricketing universe with former England skipper Kevin Pietersen terming the pause while loading action illegal while Ashwin possessed a contrarian view.
“Okay, let me make it as clear as possible. Firstly, the legalities of his action can only be tested at an ICC bowling action testing Centre,” Ashwin said on his ‘X’ handle.
Known for his astute technical knowledge, Ashwin called for real time competition testing tool to check if his side-arm action falls within the permissible 15 degree limit as per ICC’s rulebook.Â
“Secondly, there is a 15 degree rule under which a bowler needs to keep his elbow and straighten it and to judge if a bowler is bowling within that 15 mark by the on-field Umpire is impossible. The only solution to that is having a real time in competition testing tool. The above is a grey area and to accuse someone for utilising the grey area is wrong.”Â
There could be a grey area but Ashwin doesn’t find it illegal that someone is leveraging it.
While there is a general refrain that Tariq is waiting for the batter to complete his trigger and reach final position of execution of stroke after which he delivers. But Ashwin felt that it is perfectly legal.
“Finally, if the pause at the crease is legal or not, and that’s where I believe that it is entirely legal because that is his regular action.”Â
Former South Africa team performance analyst Prasanna Agoram, who has worked with top spinners like Imran Tahir, also felt that Tariq isn’t a chucker.
“Technically speaking Tariq is not chucking. His action was already cleared twice in the past. Even if he is called again , his action will come clean. Wish everyone can have a healthy discussion about a very special talent,” Prasanna commented on ‘X’.
Former India opener and commentator Aakash Chopra also didn’t question the pause but he certainly had a query.
“I feel ‘pause’ is absolutely fine. But I do have a very specific bowling question- if there’s no momentum generated by the run-up, is it possible to increase your pace by 20-25kms on certain deliveries without bending the arm?,” Chopra had a query for Ashwin on ‘X’.
Former International umpire Anil Chaudhary felt that there is nothing wrong with Tariq’s action.
“If you look at his action, it is slightly side-on and a bit different, and he bowls with a slight pause. However, since he delivers all his balls in the same manner, and in his arm there is no bending and straightening as per the guidelines, the action is absolutely fine,” Anil said on his instagram page after Cameron Green was furious after getting dismissed during a recent T20I between Australia and Pakistan.
“It is different and he bowls with a pause, but he delivers all balls in the same way. In my opinion, his action is fair and this is a fair delivery,” Chaudhary said.
