India and Pakistan will clash on February 15 in Colombo in T20 World Cup.
Ahead of the mega T20 World Cup 2026 game between India and Pakistan, all focus will be on the hard-hitting Indian batting lineup and the excellent Pakistani bowling unit. The Group A match will be played on February 15 at the RPS ground in Colombo.
One of the players in focus will be Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq. His unusual bent-arm, sling-arm, pause-and-deliver bowling action has come under the spotlight, with many calling him a ‘chucker,’ while Tariq claims that he cannot straighten his arm due to a double joint in his elbow.
There are concerns about the Indian batters, as even Namibia spinners troubled the Indian team in their recent match in Delhi, with Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus taking four wickets with a similar action.
Former India cricketer R Ashwin has already stated that Usman Tariq’s bowling action is legal, as the pause he takes before delivering the ball is part of his action.
"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 on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat.
When asked how the batters can counter Tariq’s pause, Ashwin came up with a really clever idea for the Indian batters. While he stated that his idea was well within the laws of cricket, he dared the Indian batters to do so.
He clarified that if Tariq pauses, a batter has the right to pull out since he cannot predict when he will be released.
"There is one thing I want to see—who dares to do that? 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,'" he said.
Ashwin indicated that if Indian batters used that strategy, it would put enormous pressure on the umpire, who may feel obligated to warn the bowler.
That, in turn, might shake Pakistan's trump card in the highly anticipated Group A game. However, he added he was doubtful whether the Indian team would undertake such a move.
"That will be an interesting case and a huge headache for the umpire. See, I'm not against anyone. If I were there, I would have done that. I would have done everything that is within the laws of the game. In this instance, 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.
Imagine, this is such a big game. And Tariq has been the cynosure. He has to bowl 24 deliveries like that. 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. But again, the umpire could also tell the batter that this is his established action, so you cannot move away. This would be an unprecedented situation for an umpire. But I doubt any of the Indian batters have it in them to pull it off. I'm not sure,” Ashwin added.
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