PSL drama over Usman Tariq pause (Screengrab)

Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has come out in support of Daryl Mitchell after the New Zealand batter raised concerns over Usman Tariq’s unusual delivery pause during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 clash in Karachi.The incident occurred during the match between Quetta Gladiators and Rawalpindi, where Mitchell pulled away twice while facing Tariq, clearly uncomfortable with the bowler’s stop-start action. During the ninth over at the National Stadium, Mitchell initially played a paddle sweep but soon appeared unsettled by Tariq’s delayed release. As the over progressed, he stepped away twice mid-delivery, pointing out the pause in the bowler’s action.The repeated interruptions prompted the on-field umpires to intervene and have a brief discussion with the batter before allowing play to continue. Mitchell was later dismissed, caught and bowled by Saud Shakeel, as Rawalpindi suffered a heavy 61-run defeat.Ashwin’s Take: “Batters Have Every Right”Ashwin, who had earlier spoken about such tactics on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat, reiterated that batters are well within their rights to pull away if they feel the bowler’s action disrupts timing.”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.” Ashwin wrote.Interestingly, Ashwin had earlier suggested this exact approach, encouraging batters to step away, forcing umpires to call a dead ball and thereby neutralising any advantage gained from irregular bowling rhythms. Tariq’s action has been under scrutiny for some time due to its distinctive pause before release, followed by a low follow-through. While he has been reported twice for a suspect action in the past, he has been cleared on both occasions.

Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed, right, celebrates (AP/PTI)

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla has clarified that the board has no authority to intervene in the controversy surrounding the Sunrisers franchise signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for the upcoming season of The Hundred.The franchise, which is owned by Sun TV Network, has been facing heavy criticism across social media platforms after acquiring Abrar during the players’ auction. Many users in India have voiced their anger over the decision, citing the prevailing national mood. Franchise owner Kavya Maran has also been targeted online, while the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Sunrisers Leeds was reportedly suspended amid the backlash.

Despite the growing criticism, the franchise has not yet issued an official statement. On Friday, however, Shukla made it clear that the matter does not fall under the BCCI’s jurisdiction since the tournament is played outside India.“This is not at all concerned with the IPL. It’s an overseas league. This is not in our domain. We cannot do anything. They have to take a call,” Shukla told news agency ANI on Friday afternoon.During Thursday’s auction, Abrar, currently ranked the world No.3 bowler in T20 Internationals, was bought by the franchise for £190,000 (approximately USD 255,000). At the auction table, head coach Daniel Vettori and Maran were seen placing the successful bid, beating competition from the Trent Rockets.

Sunrisers management explains decision to sign Abrar Ahmed

Following the signing, Vettori explained that the team targeted Abrar after missing out on England spinner Adil Rashid, who had already been drafted by another side. He also mentioned that Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq had been part of the franchise’s plans earlier, but once Abrar was secured, the management decided against pursuing another spinner.Indian investment in The Hundred expanded significantly in October 2025, with four teams in the competition receiving backing from Indian owners. Since then, speculation had circulated suggesting that franchises with Indian ownership might avoid signing Pakistani players. Sunrisers’ move to acquire Abrar effectively dispelled those rumours.In fact, only two Pakistani cricketers were picked during the men’s Hundred auction this year: Abrar and Tariq. Nevertheless, Sunrisers’ decision has triggered strong reactions in India, with many fans urging the franchise to reconsider the signing.

Backlash not the first controversy involving an IPL-linked franchise

This is not the first instance of an IPL-linked franchise drawing criticism for a foreign signing. Earlier this year, Kolkata Knight Riders faced backlash after including Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman in their squad. The criticism intensified following reports of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Eventually, the situation cooled after the BCCI intervened and directed KKR to release the left-arm pacer.The fallout from that episode also affected international cricket. Bangladesh later declined to travel to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, forcing tournament organisers to replace them with Scotland national cricket team in the 20-team competition, which was ultimately won by the India national cricket team.

Kavya Maran, co-owner and head of SunRisers Leeds (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed was bought by SunRisers Leeds for £190,000 at the Hundred Player Auction 2026 on Thursday, putting an end to speculation that teams linked to the Indian Premier League (IPL) might avoid signing Pakistani players. The franchise, co-owned by Kavya Maran, competed strongly in the bidding and beat Trent Rockets to secure the mystery spinner.Earlier in the auction, Usman Tariq became the first Pakistani player to be picked when Birmingham Phoenix signed him for £140,000.

However, several other Pakistan stars did not find buyers. Fast bowler Haris Rauf and all-rounders Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub remained unsold at the time of writing.Meanwhile, Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi had already withdrawn from the auction before bidding began. The ECB confirmed that Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, AM Ghazanfar, and Peter Siddle also pulled out. The likely reason was scheduling clashes with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and other international commitments.Afridi’s withdrawal still left 13 Pakistani players available in the men’s auction pool. The situation had drawn attention after speculation that franchises with IPL links might avoid picking Pakistani players.Responding to the debate, the ECB and the eight franchises issued a joint clarification, saying selections would be based on “performance, availability, and the needs of each team.”Pakistan also had a disappointing outcome in the women’s auction held a day earlier. None of the Pakistani women players were selected. Muneeba Ali, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal, and captain Fatima Sana had all entered the auction with a base price of £15,000, but they did not receive any bids.

England skipper Harry Brook produced a breathtaking rescue act with a 100 off just 51 balls to steer his side to a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in their Super 8 Group 2 clash at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Promoted to No. 3 for the first time in his T20I career, Brook smashed 10 fours and four sixes, scoring 41 of England’s 53 Powerplay runs and almost single-handedly keeping his side in the hunt. His innings also made him the first England captain to score a T20 World Cup century.“Whenever we lose, it feels like he’s the one making the difference. But credit where it’s due – he batted brilliantly today. Hopefully, he saves some runs for the game against New Zealand. Especially in that kind of form, he plays all around the ground – 360 degrees – which makes it very challenging to set fields and execute plans. They were smart. They didn’t attack too hard, they just rotated the strike well,” said Salman Agha, reflecting on Brook’s dominance.

The chase began with drama as Shaheen Afridi removed Phil Salt for a golden duck and Jos Buttler under-edged the next delivery for just 2. Shaheen accounted for Bethell as well, finishing with 3 wickets in the Powerplay. But Brook weathered the storm, punishing spin and pace alike. He launched Mohammad Nawaz for 4, 4, and 6 in a single over and smashed Shadab Khan for a 96-metre straight six, effectively turning the contest on its head.“Started well with the bat, but we couldn’t finish the way we wanted. At the end of the day, you have to give credit to the opposition. The way Harry Brook batted was outstanding – he completely took the game away from us,” Agha said after the match, underlining the impact of Brook’s innings.Brook’s century helped England reach 166-8 in 19.1 overs, with Will Jacks adding 28 crucial runs. Pakistan’s Usman Tariq fought valiantly with two key wickets, but Brook remained unflappable, guiding his side to victory with just five balls to spare and securing England’s fifth consecutive men’s T20 World Cup semifinal berth.“It was a mixed surface, but I thought we bowled really well up front. Then Harry came in and played an outstanding innings. We threw everything at him, but he was simply too good for us today,” added Agha, summing up England’s performance and Brook’s match-winning display.Pakistan now need to beat Sri Lanka and hope for favourable results.

Now it’s a battle of the elites. The margin for error will be very thin as the Super 8 stage begins with Pakistan taking on an extremely competitive New Zealand at the Premadasa in Colombo. Both teams know that a loss in this game will make things significantly difficult for them going forward.As per the weather report, there is a bit of rain around, even though none of the games in Colombo have been affected yet.

While Pakistan have been here since the start of this edition, playing on the slower spin-friendly pitches, this will be their first outing in these conditions for the Black Caps.To start then, in this battle of equals, Pakistan are slightly ahead given the depth of the spin attack that they possess.Mystery spinner Usman Tariq has been excellent so far, with none of the teams able to have a go at him.For New Zealand, the onus will be on the likes of middle-order batters Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell to deal with the threat.Chapman revealed that they are taking the Tariq factor into consideration.“Tariq has a pretty unique action with the way he stops at the crease, so that’s something to factor in. But Pakistan have a number of really good spinners in their side. Each of them poses his own threat,” Chapman said.But the left-hander also mentioned a familiarity factor that New Zealand enjoy with Pakistan.The two teams have met each other quite often in T20Is — the last series being hosted by the Kiwis in 2024-25, which they won 4-1.“Pakistan is one of the teams that we’ve played probably the most frequently over the last few years. So, we’re well aware of what they’re going to bring,” Chapman said.Pakistan had a good outing in their last game against Namibia at the SSC and it’s unlikely they are going to make significant changes to the playing XI.Paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi and leggie Abrar Ahmed haven’t been in the best of form and they were left out of the game against Namibia.To play any of them, Pakistan will have to drop a batter, which they may well be reluctant to do.The spin duties will be shared by Tariq, Saim Ayub, Mohammed Nawaz and Shadab Khan while left-armer Salman Mirza is likely to be the lone pacer.For New Zealand, it’s pretty simple.They will look to have their captain Mitchell Santner back, who missed their last game against Canada due to an illness.His style of bowling is perfect for Sri Lanka conditions and he should be a handful for the Pakistan batters.“Santner looks pretty sprightly, he’s pretty excited to get back,” Chapman said, adding that paceman Lockie Ferguson, who had gone home following the birth of his first child, will be back late before the game.“Lockie is landing potentially tonight. So we’ll just see how he pulls up from the flight,” Chapman said.

Suryakumar Yadav and Usman Tariq (Agency Image)

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted that the team’s batting has looked a little shaky in the first two matches of the T20 World Cup but expressed confidence in handling Pakistan’s tricky spinner Usman Tariq, describing him as “an out of syllabus question” in an exam. “See, sometimes there is a question in the exam as well which is out of syllabus. So, we can’t leave that question. To tackle that, you have to adopt your own way. Yes, he is a different character when he comes to bowl,” Surya said at the pre-match press conference.

He added, “But at the same time, we can’t just surrender. We practise with similar types of bowlers and similar actions. We will try to execute what we are practising in the net sessions.” India’s earlier matches exposed some vulnerabilities, with the team reduced to 77 for six against the USA and then losing five wickets for just four runs in the death overs against Namibia. Looking ahead to Sunday’s clash on the slow Premadasa wicket, Surya acknowledged the challenge posed by Tariq’s unusual bowling action, which has sparked debates about legality. “We had a scratchy start. You can’t run away from the fact that it was not a proper T20 wicket. But I said earlier too that you can’t actually brush everything under the carpet. There is no excuse,” he said. He remained positive about the team’s recovery, noting, “But we came back strongly. So, that’s the beauty of T20 cricket. One or two batters I think taking that responsibility makes us cross the line.” Surya also highlighted the mental challenge of facing Pakistan, saying the key is handling pressure and big moments. “Yes, there will be pressure. There will be nerves, butterflies in the stomach when we start the game tomorrow. But yeah, at the same time, if there’s no pressure, no nerves, then there’s no fun to play cricket. And yeah, it’s a big occasion. But yeah, I mean, every time I say the same thing, at the end of the day, it’s just another game. You have to pack your skills, play some good cricket, focus on what you want to do better, and we’ll see what happens.” Despite Pakistan being in Sri Lanka for the past fortnight, Surya remained confident. “They might have some edge. But as I said, we have come here before, we have played in these conditions, we know how the pitch plays, similar conditions to India. It’s like the same situation for both the teams. See, it’s definitely challenging when you come to Sri Lanka. But then at the end of the day, you have to challenge yourself, somehow find a solution and come out good,” he said.

Pakistan’s Usman Tariq (AP Photo)

The spotlight at the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2026 has firmly shifted towards Pakistan off-spinner Usman Tariq, whose unusual action — marked by a statue-like pause at the crease — has sparked debate as much as it has baffled batters. The 28-year-old’s delivery stride, featuring a noticeable halt before release, has become one of the tournament’s most discussed elements, raising questions around legality, rhythm and the fine margins of modern spin bowling.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Tariq’s rise has not been without controversy. Critics have revisited past reports of suspect actions, pointing towards cricket’s long-standing “15-degree elbow flex” rule, which limits how much a bowler’s arm can straighten during delivery. Though twice reported during the Pakistan Super League, he was cleared after biomechanical testing at the National Cricket Academy Lahore.

Addressing the issue, Tariq insisted his action stems from a natural physical trait. “I have two elbows in my arm… my arm bends naturally. My bent arm is a biological issue,” he said, reiterating that testing validated his technique.What truly unsettles opponents, however, is the “long pause” that disrupts timing. Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed explained that the momentary halt breaks a batter’s concentration, making even routine deliveries unpredictable. The effect has been evident, with players like Cameron Green and Dewald Brevis among those visibly puzzled by Tariq’s release point and pace variations.

Despite the scrutiny, results have backed the spinner’s inclusion. He announced himself on the global stage with three wickets against the United States and boasts an impressive early T20I record, including a hat-trick in Rawalpindi. As the tournament progresses across spin-friendly conditions, Tariq’s unconventional action remains both Pakistan’s secret weapon and cricket’s hottest debate. Whether viewed as innovation or controversy, his long pause and biomechanical uniqueness have ensured that every delivery he bowls is watched with equal parts intrigue and suspicion.

Pakistan’s Usman Tariq (AP Photo)

CHENNAI: If the online troll army is getting worried about Pakistan’s mystery slinger spinner Usman Tariq ahead of India’s blockbuster clash against the neighbours, they have MS Dhoni to blame.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Apparently, Tariq, once a sales-man working in the UAE, changed the course of his life when he decided to escape the humdrum and chase his dream when he watched ‘MS Dhoni, The Untold Story’.Inspired by the Indian legend’s moment of truth in the film, when he left his job in Kharagpur as ticket-collector to become a full-time cricketer, Tariq quit his Dubai job and returned to Paki-stan. He worked on his game, got his opportunities in franchise leagues across the world, and in captain Salman Ali Agha’s words, is now “Pakistan’s X-factor”.

It’s Tariq’s stop-start run-up and the slinging delivery action that have caused irritation among teams, IPL’s new millionaire Cameron Green adding fuel to the fire after being unable to deal with Tariq in the recently-con-cluded ODI series.Suddenly, Tariq’s action has become the talking point and after the USA struggled against him on Tuesday, the decibels seem to have risen a bit. Tariq took 3-27, taking the steam out of the USA chase, and was the fulcrum of the spin quintet, which includes part-timer Saim Ayub too.It’s the traditionally slow Pre-madasa track, where Pakistan play India next, that’s leading to the cause for worry. Tariq, who stops before delivering, is very slow through the air and it sometimes seems that the ball wouldn’t reach the bat. The batter has to create all the momentum to hit him.While his slowness is par for the course because of the quirkiness of the action, the difficulty for the batter arises when one ball suddenly comes a little faster and turns. There are voices in the cricket world which insist that Tariq chucks that delivery and that he shouldn’t be allowed to play.But the mystery spinner has found an ally from an unusual quarter in the form of the master of the craft of off-spin, R Ashwin, who posted his support on X.Eminent batting coach and former India player WV Raman, too, believes Tariq isn’t chucking, but India shouldn’t find it difficult to play him. “With a round-arm ac-tion it is very difficult to chuck … It is the quirkiness of Tariq’s ac-tion that is creating the problem. Batters are used to a rhythm where everything keeps happening in one go. When suddenly there is a pause, you start thinking about what’s go-ing on,” Raman told TOI.“But Indian batters are good enough to deal with this. Kedar Jadhav and Riyan Parag bowl like that from time to time, so it’s not that they are not used to it,” he said. Over the next few days, the chat-ter will continue. The Indian play-ers are superb players of spin bowl-ing, somebody like Shivam Dube being a designated spin-hitter. Pakistan will have a few more spin-ners in their XI in the form of Mo-hammed Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan and India will need all their skill to deal with the threat, led by Tariq.

Pakistan’s Usman Tariq, left, celebrates with teammates (AP/PTI)

Sahibzada Farhan’s blistering fifty and a clinical spin attack propelled Pakistan to a convincing 32-run victory over the United States in their Group A T20 World Cup clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Tuesday. Farhan was the star with the bat, smashing 73 off just 41 balls to guide Pakistan to a competitive 190 for nine. His aggressive innings, which included multiple towering sixes, gave Pakistan the platform to post a strong total despite losing early wickets. Babar Azam (46 off 32) supported him well, adding 81 runs for the third wicket after Pakistan slipped to 56 for two in the Power Play.

The USA openers, Shayan Jahangir (49 off 34) and Andries Gous (13 off 13), offered a solid start, reaching 50 for one after five overs. But once Pakistan’s spin quartet – Abrar Ahmed (1/30), Mohammad Nawaz (1/21), Shadab Khan (2/26), and Usman Tariq (3/27) – was introduced, the US innings struggled. Seven of the eight wickets to fall were claimed by Pakistan’s spinners, preventing any sustained partnerships. Skipper Monank Patel fell cheaply to Shadab, and Jahangir’s lofted shot was well caught by Shaheen Afridi at mid-wicket. Shubham Ranjane (51 off 30) and Milind Kumar (23) fought back with a fourth-wicket stand of 66, but the required run rate proved too steep, leaving the USA short of the target. Earlier, Pakistan had lost Saim Ayub and captain Salman Agha to Shadley van Schalkwyk’s fiery spell (4/25) in the sixth over, but Farhan’s muscle-bound assault kept the innings on track. Even as wickets fell at the back end, Shadab’s 30 off 12 balls ensured Pakistan finished with a formidable total. The win marks Pakistan’s second straight victory, taking them to the top of Group A with four points. Brief Scores: Pakistan 190/9 (Sahibzada Farhan 73, Babar Azam 46; Shadley van Schalkwyk 4/25) beat USA 158/8 (Shubham Ranjane 51, Shayan Jahangir 49; Usman Tariq 3/27) by 32 runs.