Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has come up with a cheeky, headline-grabbing idea on how India could handle Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq ahead of their blockbuster showdown on February 15. Ashwin’s comments have already got fans at the edge of their seats, especially with Tariq being seen as Pakistan’s most dangerous spin weapon in the tournament.
Speaking on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin floated a clever tactic, one he stressed is completely legal, and challenged Indian batters to use it against Tariq’s now-famous pause at the crease.
“There is one thing I want to see. Who dares to do that?” Ashwin said. “If Tariq pauses before delivery, the batter has the right to move away. The batter can say, ‘I don’t know when the ball is coming, so I moved away.’”
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“That will be an interesting case and a huge headache for the umpire,” he added. “The umpire will have to decide whether to warn the bowler or the batter. Odds are, and that is how cricket has worked, the bowler will be warned first.”
Ashwin believes a batter simply stepping away could mess with Tariq’s mind, piling pressure on the spinner and forcing him to rethink his rhythm in the middle of the biggest game of the group stage.
“Imagine, this is such a big game. And Tariq has been the cynosure. He has to bowl 24 deliveries like that,” Ashwin said. “If the batter starts withdrawing, imagine the pressure on Tariq. He might have to alter his action in the middle of the game. Pakistan’s trump card might turn out to be nothing.”
Why is Usman Tariq’s action controversial?
Tariq’s bowling action has been at the centre of debate even before the T20 World Cup kicked off.
The off-spinner’s unusual action has drawn comparisons to Sri Lanka cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan, largely because of Tariq’s hypermobile (double-jointed) elbow, which prevents him from fully straightening his arm.
But the bigger issue for batters is Tariq’s strange rhythm. His diagonal run-up, followed by a dramatic pause of a few seconds at the crease, creates a stop-start pattern that disrupts timing and forces players into second-guessing their movements.
During Pakistan’s recent bilateral series against Australia, Cameron Green was among those who questioned the legality of Tariq’s action.
Ashwin, however, also defended Tariq’s action as being in accordance to the rulebook.
“If I have a normal bowling action but suddenly pause and deliver the final ball in the over, that was ruled illegal a few years ago because that is against the natural rhythm of my bowling action. The umpire can warn me. For Tariq, the case is different. That pause is part of his normal action,” he said.
Why is Usman Tariq a threat to India?
India may have started their T20 World Cup title defence with two wins in two, but their struggles against spin have been hard to miss. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side lost three wickets to USA’s spinners, five more to Namibia’s, and there have been phases where the batting has looked more anxious than fluent.
That is exactly where Usman Tariq becomes Pakistan’s biggest threat. He is not just a spinner, he is a disruptor. His diagonal run-up and dramatic pause at the crease break a batter’s rhythm even before the ball is released.
And once he gets going, it is not easy to line him up. Tariq mixes sharp carrom balls, skidding arm deliveries and subtle drift at a brisk pace, keeping batters guessing every over.
After missing Pakistan’s tournament opener against the Netherlands, Tariq went on to pick up 3 wickets against the USA. This means that Tariq is in wicket-taking form.
On a Colombo surface that could grip as the match progresses, Tariq’s stop-start mystery could turn India’s spin discomfort into Pakistan’s biggest opening on February 15.
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