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[PICTURES/VIDEOS] Usman Tariq - Mystery spinner with an 'unorthodox' action [Cleared from suspected bowling action in PSL 9, Update on Post#150]

Bowled a good last over to defend 27... although 27 looks a huge target on paper, but T20 cricket is meant for such targets to get chased... Usman is doing a great job so far..
 
the name Tariq, mystery spinner and suspect bowling action reminds me of an u19 spinner in 2004 called Tariq Mahmood. He was our potential Murali. Does anyone remember him? What happened to him?
 
TheSultan said:
the name Tariq, mystery spinner and suspect bowling action reminds me of an u19 spinner in 2004 called Tariq Mahmood. He was our potential Murali. Does anyone remember him? What happened to him?
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Remember him very well.

He got done for chucking then couldn't get a sustained run anywhere after remedial work on his action.

His action didn't look the best but didn't look much different to Murali either so make of it what you will. The PCB should have probably guided and supported him a bit, to understand his limitations and how many degrees are acceptable etc rather than letting him get on with it and probably turn into an all out chucker.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Remember him very well.

He got done for chucking then couldn't get a sustained run anywhere after remedial work on his action.

His action didn't look the best but didn't look much different to Murali either so make of it what you will. The PCB should have probably guided and supported him a bit, to understand his limitations and how many degrees are acceptable etc rather than letting him get on with it and probably turn into an all out chucker.
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I think it’s exactly due to stories like this bob woolmer and pcb in a bio mechanics lab…and now it sits gathering dust. Just read aqib is bringing it back into use at some academy. Not a moment too soon. Pak has a serious problem with dodgy actions. It’s a national embarrassment
 
TKR's Usman Tariq bagged 1 wicket for 18 runs in CPL 2025 final, removing Moeen Ali. Notably, TKR have registered a 3-wicket win over Guyana to lift the tournament's trophy
 
He earned his spot... Should be playing some games as well.... Could be very handy on those spin tracks in Lanka etc
 
If he has already been cleared then there really shouldn't be any further conversation on his action legality.

Wish him good luck. T20 will always be a good fit for bowlers who have unusual action and hopefully he can do good stuff for Pak
 

Pakistani Salesman Quit Job After Watching MS Dhoni's Biopic, Now Set To Make T20I Debut​

Usman Tariq had given up on his cricket dream and taken up a job as a salesman in Dubai. Tariq, a mystery spinner, was disheartened after not getting selected and thus turned his back on cricket.

However, the legendary MS Dhoni changed his life.

How?

Well, Tariq happened to watch MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, a movie based on the former Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s life and how he overcame initial struggles to become one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game.

An inspired Tariq quit the stable job and resumed his cricket journey. Nearly five years later, he’s now on the verge of realising his dream of representing Pakistan in international cricket after being called up to their T20I squad for the ongoing bilateral series against South Africa at home.

“I left the game after I did not get selected and started working as a salesman in a purchasing company in Dubai," Tariq told telecomasia. “One day, I watched M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, and it inspired me a lot. I left the job and went back to Pakistan to pursue cricket again."

 
I often hear the term "mystery spinner". What's so mysterious? :inti

I think Only Sunil Narine and Ajantha Mendis were true mysterious spinners. Rest are regular spinners.
 
Should be given a chance if you are preparing for sri lankan wickets...
 
sweep_shot said:
I often hear the term "mystery spinner". What's so mysterious? :inti

I think Only Sunil Narine and Ajantha Mendis were true mysterious spinners. Rest are regular spinners.
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Well some are mystery spinners in that it’s a mystery how they ever got to play. Many like that

Others who are there on merit, of whom some even achieve excellence but it’s a mystery if their ball spins or not. Anil Kumble
 
BouncerGuy said:
By this metric, Malinga also had an illegal action...LOL
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The stop in action is annoying. Whether its Ashwin, Hafeez or Usman Tariq.

But ICC never really stopped Ashwin, so they should allow this guy aswell.

As long as he performs, all is good
 
His action is one of the weirdest actions I have seen.

Ayway, he did well against South Africa.
 
Major said:
The stop in action is annoying. Whether its Ashwin, Hafeez or Usman Tariq.

But ICC never really stopped Ashwin, so they should allow this guy aswell.

As long as he performs, all is good
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Ashwin never paused for the majority of his career. This guy pauses for every ball.
 
They have been a bonafide party in such instances...like Saeed Ajmal, Hafeez etc
===
Past Reports (BCCI-organized events): In the past, the BCCI did have a role in the process:

Mohammad Hafeez was reported for a suspected illegal bowling action by match officials during the 2014 Champions League T20, an event organized by the BCCI.

Bilal Asif's bowling action was tested at a BCCI and ICC approved testing center in Chennai and found to be legal in 2015, after being reported by match officials following an ODI.

Nikhil_cric said:
BCCI has not gone after any of your bowlers.
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Hellion said:
www.pcb.com.pk

Usman Tariq | Pakistan Cricket Team | Official Cricket Profiles | PCB

Usman Tariq 's entire cricket career and photos, A Complete statistics of Pakistan national cricket team player of ODI, test, Twenty20 Domestic and International records.
www.pcb.com.pk www.pcb.com.pk


Two profiles for the same guy with different ages - 30 and 27

We know that age fudging is rampant in Pakistan and PCB is complicit but at least try and cover it up properly, lol
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Isn't cricinfo an Indian website? Why are they lowering his age
 
I do not think Usman Tariq is chucking. The action pause is a gimmick which throws batters off and in T20 having such a tool is useful.

However at highest level of cricket, gimmicks get video analyzed and broken down easily amd quickly.

Every choice in cricket technique is a trade off. By pausing, the bowler gains extra second to react to pre meditation but loses the rhythm benefits of hip drive and a completed bowling action (pace, overspin and dip).

I think the pause is a useful tool as a one off trick but bot sustainable as a constant.
 
Wasim Akram lavishes praise on Usman Tariq and urges PCB to select him for the upcoming T20I World Cup:

"He is a wonderful bowler, and I hope Pakistan use him in the T20 World Cup because nobody has played against him,”

“If you remember, Sri Lanka’s Ajanta Mendis came in 2008, nobody had a clue what he was doing.”

“If the selectors are monitoring him, he could be very useful on Sri Lankan wickets,”
 
He should be in the squad for the T20WC, but not at the cost of Sufiyaan Muqeem.
 
The interviewer asked Ashwin about his reaction to seeing Usman Tariq play, recalling how he was impressed and even heard praise from legends like Wasim Akram and Saba Karim, who said Tariq deserved a World Cup spot. The interviewer also brought up a suggestion from Pakistani journalists that Tariq could play against India in the first match to surprise them and then feature in the final. Ashwin said:


“I was pleasantly surprised by the impact he made. Usman Tariq has a lot of variety, and the way he has been bowling stands out. He took two wickets in the final and delivered a very strong performance, and before that he picked up three wickets as well. He made a clear impact in two matches. Initially, Noor Ahmad was with the Desert Vipers, but after he left, Usman Tariq came in as a replacement and delivered immediately.”
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“The larger issue, however, is monitoring. When players compete in franchise leagues, there is no direct ICC monitoring system in place; it is entirely league-driven. This raises an important question about jurisdiction. If the ICC is the global governing body of cricket, it is unfortunate that it does not have oversight, whether matches are played in India, Dubai, or elsewhere. Even in the IPL, this kind of monitoring does not formally exist, though it should. There have been many internal discussions among players and management about bowling actions, but there is no clear or effective reporting mechanism. You can raise a complaint, but beyond an on-field umpire’s report, very little happens. There have been cases where bowlers were reported and returned to playing almost immediately. That, to me, is quite puzzling.”
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He will be in the WC games in SL and could be among the leading wicket takers. We don't need more than 2 pacers in SL in one game. Naseem will need to be selected and tested today. Mirza should sit out since to me, he is an automatic selection now. Abrar out/ Tariq in (to test him today)
 
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shamaan said:
We also have quite a few spinners
Usman Tariq
Abrar
Nawaz

Then you also have Saim,Shadab our spinner bowling department is covered.
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He can be tried by resting Abrar... Usman really needs to go to WC.. He can be our trump card on those pitches.
 
View attachment ssstwitter.com_1767871270123.mp4

Usman Tariq speaking about his action during an interview:

“I can show my hand that the visibility of the two corners is here. I'm having two corners in my hand, which makes it hard for me to straighten my hand, and it will remain bent, which causes confusion for the spectators. I have given two tests in Pakistan in the labs, and my test was cleared. So, I would love to give the message from this platform that every single person who is commenting on these things should study cricket first, then they should go for the allegation stuff. If you do not have knowledge about cricket or anything, and you comment or share your thoughts about it, then I must say that Illiteracy can kill knowledge.”
 
if his action is dodgy he'll get banned, if its clean he'll keep playing, the icc have done a decent job of kicking out chucking from cricket, no point debating his action imo.
 
ElRaja said:
if his action is dodgy he'll get banned, if its clean he'll keep playing, the icc have done a decent job of kicking out chucking from cricket, no point debating his action imo.
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If he hS an agent or a manager they should tell him just to say he has been cleared and that's it. No need for more detail.

His interviews about two elbows and seeing corners in his hand just muddy the waters.
 
BouncerGuy said:
View attachment 160617

Usman Tariq speaking about his action during an interview:

“I can show my hand that the visibility of the two corners is here. I'm having two corners in my hand, which makes it hard for me to straighten my hand, and it will remain bent, which causes confusion for the spectators. I have given two tests in Pakistan in the labs, and my test was cleared. So, I would love to give the message from this platform that every single person who is commenting on these things should study cricket first, then they should go for the allegation stuff. If you do not have knowledge about cricket or anything, and you comment or share your thoughts about it, then I must say that Illiteracy can kill knowledge.”
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@Da_Future_Knick I think you are talking about this video... @Mamoon FYI
 
Ravi Ashwin opines on Usman Tariq Bowling Action :🚨🗣️

“His action is nothing like mine. In my action, I would pause, run up, and then pause again before delivering the ball. I didn't pause before every ball; I would pause for maybe one or two balls.

But in Usman Tariq's bowling, he pauses before every single ball. The difference is, he has a googly and a carrom ball. But he doesn't have the orthodox off-break spin.”(YT)
 
JAV12341 said:
Watched abit of this guy in the Ramadan tournament and he looks quality. Needs to play domestic and PSL next year and be tracked fast tracked to the pakistan team who are in dire need of quality off-spinners. Reminds a little of Ashwin the way he bowls with guile and confidence
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I callled for this guy many years ago and told everyone he is the best spinner in Pakistan. There is hidden talent in Pakistan but they need more exposure. India and other teams are absolutely shaking in their boots of just facing him that’s how much fear he has instilled in other teams. Reminds me of the fear saeed Ajmal instilled in all the teams. Beast of a bowler
 
Andrew Fidel Fernando with this great piece for certain people who desperately need to enhance their understanding of cricket:

Tariq has cleared his action in ICC-approved biomechanics labs more than once now, having been sent there from the Pakistan Super League, where umpires' suspicions twice arose. Having been honed over decades, lab-testing procedure is sophisticated and standardised across locations, and leaves little leeway to obtain unfairly favourable results.

The testing goes like this:
  • Bowlers are required to send down three legitimate overs, wearing biomechanic sensors on shoulder, arm, and torso, while super high-tech (Vicon) motion capture cameras operate from several angles.
  • Within those three overs, bowlers must deliver each of the variations they use in competitive matches.
  • Footage of the bowler's in-game action is overlaid upon their bowling footage at the lab, to ensure players cannot bowl differently in the test than they do in a match.
  • Bowling intensity is also a fundamental consideration. Bowling speeds, revolutions, and trajectory are measured, and must replicate their in-match bowling.
  • Additionally, the ICC appoints a senior bowling coach (often from the local state association) to independently verify that the bowler being tested is operating as they would in the heat of competition.
Many have struggled with the testing procedure's stringency. One Sri Lanka bowler, for example, had had to bowl seven or eight overs during one of his tests until the technicians were satisfied that 18 of his deliveries were sufficiently matched to his in-game bowling. (He was banned as a result of that test.)

In one sense, the idea that a bowler such as Tariq - whose variations have all emerged from these procedures unscathed - should be under any cloud, is not merely unfair, it is verging on ludicrous. Tariq has proved his action's legality more than most bowlers ever have to. In fact the most unscientific part of the ICC procedure is the one that saw him raise suspicion at all. The ICC's official line is that it is only at 15 degrees elbow extension that chucking becomes visible to the naked eye, and as such leave the reporting of suspicious actions to the umpires.
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Ashwin made this great point of how come is it that when batters play switch hits, they are hailed as innovative. But when a bowler does something different it is deemed as cheating. Eventhough Usman's pause is obviously legal and within the ICC rules.

Slightly different but as far as I am concerned, if batters can play switch hits whenever they feel like, then a bowler should be allowed to bowl from whichever arm they feel like without having to inform the batsman.
 
Usman Tariq is a very unique bowler. Definitely a bowler with an X factor.

Not a big turner of the ball but he is very good with his variations. That pause also throws most batters off.

Pakistan should try him in ODI too.
 
He isn't chucking and - unless an ICC lab says otherwise - he isn't chucking.

This is just the pre game tamasha, a media frenzy for views, talking heads and time pass.

India absolutely aren't going to protest, the game will hinge on other things.
 
In my opinion, general eye test > Biomechanic loopholes exploited by all batta blowers.

Even in gully cricket, we had very strict rules in batta bowling and anyone even remotely resembling it was not allowed to bowl, or we would start throwing a tantrum, maybe run away with the bat or opponents burrowed cap or something, maybe refuse to give them their batting part. Stuff like that ensured the bowling was tremendously conventional.

Also, kids are unapologetically rude and harassing by nature. We would nickname such people batta to platter their confidence on the e field, and later in front of girls in the class, who would look at conventional bowlers as knights but batta bowlers as crippled men.

It’s crazy that, those who couldn’t pass the eye test at such lower levels of cricket find ICC loopholes to impact international games.

Crikey is a beautiful game and there are many unwritten rules in it, being a conventional bowler is one of them, a rule the SENA nations adhere to very strictly, but unfortunately the desi nations, especially Pakistan continue to exploit the generosity of honourable nations.

If this continues and everyone starts chucking batta, it would be a shame and at some point maybe the rules would have to be officially updated to ensure honour is restored in the game.
 
Indians are taking him very seriously. Expect 4 overs for 60 without wickets from him.
 
This Tariq guy is a newbie to intl cricket. He did not look any thing special against USA. He has the advantage against batsmen that premeditates their shots. Looked average. However we cannot write him off yet. Many of these unknown Pak bowlers have done very well against India. Tomorrow could be his day. So let’s see.:mv
 
Savak said:
Indians are taking him very seriously. Expect 4 overs for 60 without wickets from him.
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It all depends on if Indian openers give a good start or not. If Pak are wicket less after 5 overs, they will be in big trouble. If India loses both openers before Tariq comes on to bowl, he will have a great day.
 
Champ_Pal said:
It all depends on if Indian openers give a good start or not. If Pak are wicket less after 5 overs, they will be in big trouble. If India loses both openers before Tariq comes on to bowl, he will have a great day.
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Tariq will still have to bowl to the likes of Surya, Pandya, Dube, Rinku Singh who can all make merry against him
 
Champ_Pal said:
This Tariq guy is a newbie to intl cricket.
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That's what makes him dangerous. Pakistani cricketers fire their best shots within the first year of their careers, before they get found out. #Shaheen #Fakhar #Jamshed #Amir
 
Varun said:
That's what makes him dangerous. Pakistani cricketers fire their best shots within the first year of their careers, before they get found out. #Shaheen #Fakhar #Jamshed #Amir
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Shaheen is a world class bowler and the others didn't get "found out", they simply didn't have the drive and motivation to do their talent justice.

However, mystery spinners are at their best when there is still mystery around them.

If I was Salman, I wouldn't use Tariq unless absolutely necessary. Don't even play him in tomorrow's game, given that there isn't much riding on it. Save him for the knockout game.
 
His biggest asset is not just the pause and the adjustment he makes at the very last second, he gets extra bounce because of his height, many batsmen have mistimed shots because of the extra bounce he gets
 
Savak said:
His biggest asset is not just the pause and the adjustment he makes at the very last second, he gets extra bounce because of his height, many batsmen have mistimed shots because of the extra bounce he gets
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He spins it (or moves it both ways too) and varies his speed. He’s hard to time and uses the crease well. He’s a perfect t20 bowler. Unlike ajuntha mendis who has just one variation and was dangerous till he was found out Usman is all about variation so it’s hard to know what his stock ball actually is. Today he bowled at 49mph and higher.
 
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