T20 World Cup: Who Said What About Usman Tariq? Cricket Fraternity Reacts On Pakistan Spinner Ahead of India Clash

India will clash with arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Group A encounter at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 5, Sunday. It is a high-voltage encounter given the history between the two sides and how the recent developments have led to tensions between them.

Ahead of the India vs Pakistan clash, there has been a lot of discussions over Pakistan spin attack, specially Usman Tariq. The conditions at Colombo being slow and with low bounce on offer, there are chances that the Pakistan spinners can trouble India given the latter have not flourished against the type of bowling in the recent past.

Experts consider Tariq, with his action and pause before the delivery, can be a real threat to the Indian side. Tariq has been successful in the recent CPL and the Pakistan vs Australia series. His low arm action, change of pace and the delay before release has made batters struggle to pick him up. His action has often led to controversies as well and drawn comments from members of cricketing fraternity.

Suryakumar Yadav's Statement On Usman Tariq

At the India vs Pakistan pre-match press conference on February 14, Suryakumar Yadav described Tariq as an "out of syllabus question" in an exam. He noted, "Sometimes a question comes that you didn't prepare for, but you can't leave it blank. You adopt your own method and try to answer it. We can't surrender."

Salman Ali Agha Confident About Usman Tariq

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha was confident about him. He said, "Usman Tariq is a trump card for us. We don't care about talks about his action. Usman's action has been cleared twice and I don't know why it is being talked about... He is our X-factor and a key weapon."

Harbhajan Singh Wants India To Play Usman Tariq Out

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh also commented on the threat India faces from Tariq. "Pakistan has a spinner (Usman Tariq), he is a good spinner, and we have to play him safely. The Indian team is capable, but they must play without pressure and handle him with care."

Ravichandran Ashwin Defends Usman Tariq's Action

Ravichandran Ashwin, former Indian cricketer defended Tariq's action. He shared a post on X where he said. "I believe that it is entirely legal because that is his regular action... to accuse someone for utilizing a grey area is wrong."

Talking on his YouTube channel, he also provided a potential solution to the issue. "If he stops before delivering, the batter has the right to move away. He can simply say, 'I thought he was stopping.' It would be a huge headache for the umpire, and it’s a tactic I would personally use to unsettle him."