Pakistan's spinner Usman Tariq is getting a lot of attention ahead of India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 match, which is set to be played on 15 February at Colombo. Tariq's bowling action is somewhat unusual, which has kept him a mystery for batters so far. Tariq bowls with a round-arm delivery and pauses slightly just before releasing the ball, making it difficult for batters to play him. For this reason, it is believed that the 28-year-old off-spinner could pose a significant threat to the Indian batting line-up, as several players struggle against spinners in the match against Namibia.

On one hand, Usman Tariq is being considered Pakistan's trump card against Team India, while on the other hand, there is an ongoing debate over the legality of this bowler's action. On social media, along with fans, many former cricketers are also questioning Tariq's action, especially when he pauses during his bowling. Repeating this has targeted the Pakistani spinner as well. However, Tariq's action has been cleared twice by the ICC, yet his critics are not backing down. Now, Pakistan's captain, Salman Ali Agha, has defended his bowler and given a strong response to shut down the critics.

"I don’t know why there is so much chatter around Usman Tariq. He has been cleared by ICC. India has hyped him, but he is not affected by all that," Pakistan skipper Agha said in the pre-match press conference.

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Salman Ali Agha labels Usman Tariq a trump card

The pitch at Colombo ground is being considered slow, and for this reason, there is a high possibility that spinners could play a very important role in the match between India and Pakistan. Usman Tariq can also take advantage of this, as Team India has not played him even once so far. Perhaps this is the reason why Captain Salman Ali Agha has called him the trump card of his team.

"For us, every player is equal. You guys have made Usman Tariq this big. He has been bowling well. He is our trump card," he added.

Salman Ali Agha's statement clearly shows that he is confident that Usman Tariq will showcase his prowess against Team India as well and help Pakistan defeat its arch-rival for the second time in the tournament's history.