Fresh controversy has erupted ahead of the India vs Pakistan clash in Colombo on Sunday (February 15) as Irfan Pathan has made a bold appeal to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over Usman Tariq ahead of the big match of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Don’t let Usman Tariq bowl with full sleeves: Irfan Pathan tells ICC
The former Indian all-rounder urged the ICC to not allow Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq to bowl in half sleeves as his questionable bowling action is already attracting everyone’s attention. Pathan believes that the match officials should clearly see the arm movements of the bowler.
The former World Cup winner boldly mentioned that some bowlers with questionable actions prefer the full sleeve, and this makes it harder to predict how much the arm turns during the delivery. He believes that clear visibility is very important in high-pressure matches like India vs Pakistan.
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Irfan Pathan said in a video posted on his YouTube channel, “My request to the ICC is that if there is even the slightest doubt on a bowler’s action, do not let him bowl with a full sleeve. Ask him to bowl with a half sleeve, because that will give you a better idea. You cannot see how much the arm is turning in a full sleeve. Even if you look in the past, all the bowlers who had problems with their action, they would have bowled with a full sleeve. Were.”
Pathan urged match officials to be cautious
Pathan has pointed out that Tariq’s normal delivery looks fine, but there is a sharp acceleration after a short pause in the action and match officials need to pay close attention to this.
The cricket pundit said, “I think his (Usman Tariq) arm doesn’t turn much when he bowls normal balls. But when he stops and bowls faster balls, you need to keep an eye on him. When the pace increases you need to keep an eye on his arm.”
He also shared an interesting suggestion from umpire Ajay Verma. He said that the on-field umpire should be slightly bent over so that the bowler’s hand is clearly visible on the sight screen.
Pathan said, “Ajay Verma’s advice was that the umpire should remain slightly bent over. Even his hat or cap should be black. If the umpire is bent over, the bowler’s hand will come in front of the sight screen.”
Also read: Jasprit Bumrah reached with the help of Irfan Pathan to dismiss Sahibzada Farhan in the match between India and Pakistan.
Salman Ali Aga breaks silence on Usman Tariq discussion
However, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Aga kept things calm despite the noise around Tariq ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 clash in Colombo.
The Pakistani captain said, “People are entitled to their opinion and can say what they want. I can tell you that Tariq himself is not concerned about it. He is smart and mature. For us, he is just one of the 15 players, nothing more, nothing less.”