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Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has ended all the growing debate around Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq's bowling action, saying that there is nothing illegal about it. The former India captain also added that Indian batters are unlikely to be overly troubled by Usman in the T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Pakistan.
Why Usman Tariq's bowling action came into the limelight
Tariq has featured in four T20Is so far and has made a strong impact, taking 11 wickets while conceding fewer than six runs per over. His unusual stop-and-pause bowling action has become a major talking point ahead of the high-profile India vs Pakistan clash in Colombo at the T20 World Cup.
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Sunil Gavaskar on Usman Tariq's action
The off-spinner’s action has even been compared to Sri Lanka great Muttiah Muralitharan because of his hypermobile elbow, which makes it difficult for him to fully straighten his arm while bowling. However, the brief pause in his run-up has divided opinions. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has raised doubts about whether the action is legal, while India’s Ravichandran Ashwin believes there is nothing wrong with it.
"I haven't really seen it properly, apart from a few glimpses on television, which is not always the best thing to, to see, but, look, there is no law against the bowler stopping and delivering the ball, just like there is no law to say to the batter you can't move before the bowler delivers the ball. So I don't think, you know, I mean, these are, these are, you know, comments made by people who do not, do not actually know the rules of the game," Gavaskar told India Today.
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Gavaskar on Usman Tariq's bowling action
Gavaskar also said that many of the people debating Usman Tariq’s bowling action may be overthinking the issue. He pointed out that during a recent practice session he attended, the Pakistani batters did not seem to have any trouble facing him so the Suryakumar Yadav-led side will not face too many problems facing him.
"I think some of these comments are coming from people who do not fully understand the rules of the game. There is nothing to be concerned about. From what I saw at the recent practise session that you were around, the Pakistani batters had no problems playing him, so I don't see the Indian batters having too many problems playing him" added Gavaskar.
The T20 World Cup 2026 clash between India and Pakistan will take place on February 15 at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The arch-rivals earlier faced each other during the Asia Cup 2025 where the Men in Blue defeated Pakistan thrice to win the title.
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