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Pakistan’s unorthodox off-spinner Usman Tariq has responded to Ravichandran Ashwin applauding Daryl Mitchell for accepting his dare to move away from batting stride during Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 to counter the long pause. Tariq in his Instagram story wrote that Mitchell's move comes under foul play and it may end up in a five-run penalty.
“Unsporting Conduct (Foul Play): If the batter does this continuously to deliberately distract the bowler or waste time, it can be deemed unfair play. The umpire has the discretion to warn the batter, and if it continues, issue a penalty (usually 5 penalty runs to the fielding side)."
“Happy to hear 5 penalty runs. Keep it up," he added, taking a dig at Ashwin.
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The incident took place in Rawalpindiz’s clash against Quetta Gladiators on April 10. Mitchell moved away from his batting stride twice. Eventually, the umpire had a word with him and Mitchell did not move away for the rest of his stay at the crease in the game. The tactic to move away and unsettle Tariq was first advised by Ashwin during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. However, no Indian batter attempted it as there was no need for it.
“Now it’s up to the umpires and match referees to time the pause for his delivery. If the pause isn’t consistent, then the batter has every right to move away. The captains and opposition batters should raise this issue with the umpires and match referees before the game begins. Well done, Mitchell," wrote Ashwin had written on X.
No 5-run penalty during PSL clash
While Tariq ended up bowling an economical spell and bagging two wickets, Mitchell’s team fell well short of the target. As Tariq suggested in his Instagram story, there was no five-run penalty awarded to the fielding side.
No action against Daryl Mitchell
The PSL governing council is yet to react to Mitchell’s move. It is yet to be ascertained whether the council believes that the Kiwi all-rounder’s move was unfair play or not.
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