With the boycott chatter now a thing of the past, the stage is set for the traditional rivals India and Pakistan to take the field in the T20 World Cup 2026 on February 15 in Colombo.
However, one controversy has made way for another, as at the centre of all the attention is Usman Tariq, the Pakistan spinner. The 28-year-old, who has played just four T20Is for Pakistan, is being viewed as the major trump card at Salman Ali Agha’s disposal, with everybody eager to see how he fares against India’s T20 batting heavyweights.
Tariq, who didn’t play Pakistan’s T20 World Cup opener against the Netherlands, made his way into the playing XI for the match against the USA, returning with three wickets. However, after the game concluded, Tariq began trending on social media, with many Indian fans questioning the legality of his bowling action.
The spinner doesn’t have a traditional action by any stretch of the imagination. The unusual bent-arm, sling-arm and a pause in his delivery action have all been subjected to severe scrutiny on the internet. His awkward action has divided the cricket fraternity. Tariq had earlier come under the scanner in the T20I series between Australia and Pakistan, where Cameron Green seemingly made a ‘chucking’ gesture after being dismissed by the spinner.
With just about 48 hours to go before the T20 World Cup showdown, former Australia captain Aaron Finch lent his support to Tariq, saying that if the ICC has no problem, he should be allowed to go about his business.
“As long as the arm is above horizontal, then I think it’s an absolutely fair game. Like I said earlier, the ability for players to continue evolving in the game, and not just turn into bowling machines, is really important. And it’s one that guys have to keep pushing their limits. As long as it’s within the law, then good on him for trying something different,” said Finchat at a JioStar Media Day while replying to a Hindustan Times query on Friday.
“The big pause in the action, I don’t have any issue with that. It’s just a part of the game that you have to adapt to if you’re a batter. So, game on,” he added.
Tariq’s action has already been cleared twice by the ICC; however, the allegations continue to surface. Finch believes that if the ICC has given its stamp of approval, the debate should then and there.
“He’s been tested. So from my point of view, there’s no issue. As long as it’s within the rules, I’m all for innovation in the game. Innovation shouldn’t just apply to batsmen and different shots. When you think about batters being able to switch their grip and switch their feet and everything, that’s innovation,” said Finch.
“Bowling round-arm or side-arm is a part of that as well. So, I’m all for it. I’m all for people really pushing the boat out and testing the limits and trying to continue to improvise in our game,” he added.
‘Steve Smith will be added’
Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign hit a roadblock on Friday after the 2021 champions went down by 23 runs against Zimbabwe at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The road to the Super 8s has gotten tricky for the 2021 Champions, and they could bow out of the group stage if they are to face a defeat against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe emerge victorious over Ireland.
Australia’s campaign has been marred by a plethora of injuries, with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the tournament. Captain Mitchell Marsh has also missed the opening two matches, leaving the selectors no choice but to call Steve Smith as a cover. Finch believes it is a matter of time before Smith is added to the main squad, considering Australia have not named any replacement for Hazlewood either.
“I think that he will be added to the squad. They’ve still got the one spot available, which they placed when Josh Hazlewood was ruled out. And they were just waiting to see how the guys bounced back from injury and how the bowling was performing. So, they’ve got the flexibility there. It’s never ideal when you go into a World Cup with so many injuries. Then you get here, and you’ve still got them piling up. That makes it really difficult for a couple of reasons,” said Finch.
“One, because you don’t get the opportunity to play as an 11 or 12 or 13 player squad where you know each other’s roles inside out. Because you’re always chopping and changing. And two, just the confidence of players who walk in off injury. It makes it a little bit more difficult to get going in the tournament. So, it hasn’t been an ideal preparation. They performed beautifully against Ireland in the first game. And then they were totally outplayed by Zimbabwe today. So, yeah, they need to get it together very, very quickly.”