Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq took a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in Match 4 of the T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, November 23. Tariq joined an exclusive club of Pakistan cricketers after demolishing Zimbabwe’s batting line-up and becoming the fourth bowler to take a hat-trick for Pakistan in a T20I.
Pakistan secured their place in the final of the tri-series after a spectacular win over Zimbabwe. They continued their unbeaten run in the series by first defeating Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Tariq bowled the match-winning spell which earned him the Player of the Match award. Pakistan won by 69 runs in a one-sided match.
Usman Tariq becomes fourth Pakistani to take a hat-trick in men’s T20I
Usman Tariq attacked in the eighth over and gave away nine runs. However, he returned in the 10th over and took a hat-trick to give Zimbabwe victory. He first dismissed Tony Munyonga, then shattered the stumps of Tshinga Musekiwa and took the wicket of Wellington Masakadza to complete a hat-trick.
Zimbabwe were reduced from 59/4 to 60/7 in the space of three balls. Tariq later picked out Tinotenda Maphosa and finished his spell with 4 for 18 in four overs.
The 30-year-old joins Faheem Ashraf (2017), Mohammad Hasnain (2019) and Mohammad Nawaz (2025) as Pakistan’s top hat-trick takers in men’s T20Is.
| bowler | rival | venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osman Tariq | zimbabwe | Rawalpindi | 2025 |
| Faheem Ashraf | Sri Lanka | Abu Dhabi | 2017/18 |
| Mohammad Hasnain | Sri Lanka | Lahore | 2019/20 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | afghanistan | Sharjah | 2025 |
I feel truly blessed and honored – Usman Tariq
Usman Tariq said he felt grateful to score a hat-trick and receive the player of the match award. Tariq also said that it takes time to develop control and variation, which he is working on with his trainers.
“I feel really blessed and honoured. I hope I continue to perform well in the future. It’s difficult to explain what I was feeling at that moment (pausing during the delivery), but it felt quite natural to me. In spin bowling, the basics are important – your body needs to stay balanced and move forward.”
“I’ve been working on it a lot, especially with my coaches, and it’s really helped. There’s a long process behind it (talking about control and variation),” Tariq said.
To be honest, I didn’t expect it – Usman Tariq on hat-trick ball
Osman Tariq admitted that he did not expect Wellington Masakadza to hit a hat-trick shot. He also thanked Salman Ali Aga for supporting him, noting that the captain encouraged him to trust his instincts and set the field as required.
Tariq further added, “My coaches in Peshawar – Aslam Qureshi and Zoya Khan – helped me a lot. They taught me that variation is not just about spin, but also about pace. Not many bowlers focus on that nowadays, so I have worked hard to control both.”
“To be honest, I was not expecting it (talking about the shot on the hat-trick ball), but I am grateful that he (Wellington Masakadza) went for it. I have to give credit to Salman Ali Aga for the faith he showed in me. He told me to bowl what felt right to me and the field was set up perfectly. I am really happy.”
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