Imitating Usman Tariq ends up bad for Sri Lankan bowler:Umpire rules verdict on action similar to Pak’s T20 WC star bowler

On the cricket field, imitating the unique bowling style of Pakistani spinner Usman Tariq proved costly for a player. In a match played at Richmond College in Sri Lanka, bowler Nethuja Bashitha tried to adopt Tariq’s style, but the umpire deemed it against the rules and declared the ball a dead ball. This match was played between Richmond College and Mahinda College in Galle on March 21. Pakistani spinner Usman Tariq is currently much talked about due to his unique bowling style. In the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup, he surprised everyone with his bowling. Tariq pauses for a few seconds before delivering the ball, which makes it difficult for batsmen to play against him. What did the Sri Lankan bowler do? During the match, Nethuja Bashitha tried to bowl with a pause, similar to Usman Tariq. Bashitha paused in the middle of his run-up and made several hopping movements before delivering the ball. The umpire immediately noticed this and declared the ball a ‘dead ball’. Actually, the umpire believed that it was not part of the bowler’s normal bowling action, but an attempt to distract the batsman. What do the Laws of Cricket say? According to the Laws of Cricket, if a bowler deliberately performs an action that distracts or troubles the batsman, the umpire can declare that ball a dead ball. In serious cases, the umpire can also award 5 penalty runs to the batting team. In Bashitha’s case, the umpire deemed it unfair because he was deliberately copying Tariq’s style. Also Read: Virat Kohli announces his intent with explosive 45-off-19 ball knock: Dinesh Karthik predicts RCB legend will ‘look even better this time’ Why is Usman Tariq’s action legal? During the T20 World Cup 2026, when Usman Tariq troubled batsmen from big countries like India and England with his bowling, questions were raised about his action. However, the ICC declared his bowling action completely ‘legal’ or valid. According to the ICC, pausing before delivering the ball is part of Tariq’s natural and regular bowling action, and not a separate attempt to deceive the batsman. How was Pakistan’s run in the World Cup? Usman Tariq played a crucial role in helping Pakistan reach the Super-8 round. However, he proved quite expensive in the last Super-8 match against Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s team was eliminated from the semi-final race this time, but Tariq’s bowling remained ‘talk of the town’ throughout the tournament. As a result, young players are now adopting his style in lower-level matches.