In the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq once again found himself at the centre of controversy over his bowling action, reigniting a long-running debate about legality and fairness in modern cricket.
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Tariq played a crucial part in Pakistan’s commanding win over the United States in Colombo, taking three important wickets to help his team secure a 32-run victory and top spot in Group A. But while his performance impressed on the field, his distinctive “pause-and-deliver” bowling style sparked fresh allegations online that he was “chucking,” a term used when a bowler throws rather than bowls the ball.
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— Prem Sawanth (@SawanthPrem) February 11, 2026
Usama Tariq's action is unique and borderline questionable, but we must consider individual biomechanics. We have seen similar cases with Shoaib Akhtar and Muralitharan. If the ICC clears him, we can’t complain unless he is found guilty again.
That…
Shreevats Goswami’s Comparison and the Rules Debate
Former Indian wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami weighed in on the controversy by comparing Tariq’s pause in his delivery stride to rules in another sport. Goswami pointed out that in football, players cannot pause during a penalty run-up, suggesting that similar restrictions should apply to cricket bowlers if the pause affects the delivery’s fairness.
Even football doesn’t allow players to pause during a penalty run-up anymore.
— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) February 10, 2026
How is this ok? Action - all good. But pause ? That too while loading to deliver. This can’t be continued seriously ! #WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/gIgsjV7RlX
However, Indian cricket legend Ravichandran Ashwin took a slightly different stance. While agreeing with the football comparison in principle, Ashwin challenged the broader consistency of cricket’s laws. He highlighted what he called an imbalance in the sport’s regulations, noting that batters are free to play innovative strokes like the switch-hit or reverse sweep without notifying the umpire, yet bowlers cannot change the arm with which they bowl without prior announcement. Ashwin argued that such restrictions on bowlers should be re-examined before casting aspersions on unusual bowling styles.
Agree football doesn’t allow it!
— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) February 11, 2026
While the batter can be allowed to switch hit or reverse without informing the umpire or bowler, after him/her commits to start batting on one side, why are the restrictions only limited to the bowler?
In fact the bowler isn’t allowed to change… https://t.co/AOV4OKhwcL
Tariq’s Own Explanation
Tariq has addressed such allegations in the past, explaining that his unusual arm action is due to natural physical characteristics. He maintains that his arm’s bend is a biological trait rather than an attempt to break the rules and points to his clearances in official tests as proof that there is nothing inherently illegal about his style.