Standing 6ft 4in tall, a hachimaki pushing back his mop of hair, Usman Tariq could be mistaken for a martial artist. However, far from being a combination of power and speed, the blows Pakistan’s new bowling sensation lands on opponents are painfully slow.
As a mystery spinner, the 30-year-old former Dubai office worker – who belatedly chased a professional cricket career, taking inspiration from Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s rise from train ticket inspector to captain of India – has all the variations, unfurling them from a bent, round-arm action.
What makes him truly unique, though, is the two-second delay in delivery stride before release, denying batsmen the opportunity to set themselves.
Even if they pick his googly or carrom ball, the lack of pace when it arrives down the business end makes it challenging to either pierce the fielders patrolling the inner ring or clear those on the boundary. Tariq has dropped to as low as 45mph this tournament and his fastest delivery has been 65mph.
Tariq is just four months and seven Twenty20 appearances into his international career, meaning that England’s exposure to him has been limited, but his unquestionable impact thus far encouraged Harry Brook to replicate his unorthodox style, bowling in net practice ahead of Tuesday night’s World Cup Super Eight encounter.
What makes Pakistan’s spinner Usman Tariq truly unique is the two-second delay in delivery stride before release, denying batsmen the opportunity to set themselves
And it is reaping rewards, with Tariq claiming 16 wickets at under eight runs apiece at the highest level
Meanwhile, sporting a bucket hat, the man himself was bamboozling his team-mates in Pakistan’s own practice at Pallekele, luring them into a succession of mishits that plugged all over the outfield.
Such idiosyncrasies in cricket lead to suspicion and like others who have embraced unorthodoxy, like Sri Lankan duo Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga, questions have been asked over the legality of Tariq’s action.
Australia’s Cameron Green drew attention to this rather unsubtly when, during a World Cup warm-up match, he was caught on camera marking his dismissal by mimicking the side sling technique, before later apologising.
England’s Tom Banton also appeared to intimate to on-field officials at the Pakistan Super League that Tariq was throwing.
Twice he has been reported, in fact. Twice cleared. First, during the 2024 PSL, tests at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore showed that although he bowls with a kink in his arm, the arm remains kinked throughout the full sweep of his action. Reported again during last year’s PSL, an assessment showed the straightening of his arm was under the 15 degree limit.
What has been more of a surprise, though, is how he has neutered some of the world’s best players since debuting against South Africa last October. In his second appearance, against a Zimbabwe team that has been the surprise package of this Twenty20 World Cup, he took a hat-trick.
Tariq slows almost to a standstill when he reaches the stumps…
Though he has a round-arm action, tests of it have found that he straightens his arm less than the 15-degree limit
It is a small sample size admittedly, but he already has 16 wickets at under eight runs apiece at the highest level – twice as good as his overall return of 75 at 15.41.
And in this tournament, his economy rate of 5.82 is the best of any spinner to have appeared at least four times.
Not only that, Pakistan are using him increasingly tactically, holding him back until the second half of the innings when the ball is softer and more difficult to hit.
Statistics back up the merit of their ploy: from the 14th over onwards in internationals, his economy rate drops to 5.1.
England have spoken privately about going harder at the other Pakistan bowlers in a bid to lure him into the attack earlier, but with six spin options, captain Salman Agha’s hand will be hard to force.
The fact that the Group Two clash will be played on a fresh pitch should reduce his effect marginally, but whatever the surface, Tariq looks to be a T20 superstar in the making – and therefore one Hundred teams should be looking to recruit.
Tuesday’s match against England will be played on a fresh pitch which should reduce Tariq’s effect marginally, but whatever the surface, he looks to be a T20 superstar in the making
His unusual action means he has twice been reported for throwing. But he has been cleared on both occassions
Fears that Pakistani players will form a limited presence in next month’s auction linger due to the fact that four of the teams are Indian-owned. But Sahibzada Farhan, leading run-scorer at this World Cup and one of the 63 Pakistani players to have signed up for the auction, said: ‘I’m very hopeful. Every player wants to play every league, play in the good leagues. The Hundred is one of the best leagues. So I hope for the best.
‘This is not in our hands, who picks us or who doesn’t. Whichever team is interested in picking us can, and we are ready to play in that league. It’s not like people are not interested in us.’
Meanwhile, the increasing allure of franchise cricket around the globe has led to England’s Twenty20 series in South Africa next January being postponed.
England play three Tests and three one-day internationals between 17 December and 15 January, 2027, but the tour then ends, allowing the SA20 a free run. According to Cricket South Africa, it has been removed due to ‘scheduling conflicts’.
