The ongoing Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026) gave fans a different kind of drama in Karachi, where an awkward moment between New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell and Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq caught attention from across the border.
Everyone is talking about one moment from the PSL 2025 match between Quetta Gladiators and Pindies. The game was eventually won by Quetta Gladiators in Karachi on 10 April.
Big drama in PSL 2026, Daryl Mitchell refuses to face Usman Tariq twice
It all happened during the Pindis chase when the flow of the game went haywire, thanks to Usman Tariq. Tariq’s bowling action is already under suspicion due to his “stop-start” pauses at the crease and his arm action.
Although the Pakistani spinner has cleaned up every time in the past, he was seen chucking in the PSL 2026 game, so Daryl Mitchell immediately refused to face him.
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Mitchell walked away from the crease twice just before the delivery. Actually, Tariq used his trademark delay action at the crease, which messed up the timing of the New Zealand player.
The Pindis batsman looked uncomfortable and walked away twice, as he was not happy with the inconsistency in the bowler’s run-up and release. Nevertheless, Tariq was allowed to continue bowling by the umpires even without a formal warning.
Daryl Mitchell twice withdrew from facing Usman Tariq pic.twitter.com/HlDgOWMlPs
-Taimoor Zaman (@Taimoor_ze) 10 April 2026
Ravichandran Ashwin defends Daryl Mitchell; Match sends a strong message to officials
Before this, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was surprised. He believes that if the batsmen feel that the bowler is not in line with their action then they have the right to withdraw.
Ashwin feels that it is the job of the umpires and match officials to keep such things under control. If the timing of the bowler’s action varies, the batsman should be allowed to reset without any problems. He believes that teams should talk about such things before the match so that confusion can be avoided later.
Ravichandran Ashwin posted,
Now it is up to the umpires and match referee to decide when to stop his delivery.
If the break is not consistent, the batsman has every right to walk away.
Captains and opposition batsmen should raise this issue with the umpires and match referee before the start of the game.… https://t.co/16dreiVxlL
– Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) 11 April 2026
Ramiz Raja vs Ravichandran Ashwin on Daryl Mitchell-Usman Tariq drama
Ramiz Raja on commentary criticized Mitchell and said that he should have handled the situation calmly or adjusted rather than reacting repeatedly. However, Ashwin felt that both players were actually right in their own ways, but added that since the bowler is allowed a unique action, the batsman also has the right to feel comfortable before facing the ball.
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Ashwin stressed that the main issue is consistency. He told that if the bowler’s pause is the same every time then it is fine, but if it keeps changing from ball to ball then it can spoil the timing of the batsman. That’s why the former Indian all-rounder believes that umpires should look at the timing of breaks carefully and ensure that everything remains fair for both sides.
Michelle is right.
Tariq is also like thisThe timing of the pause should be determined to see if he delays ball by ball. https://t.co/nOeEsJh6vw
– Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) 11 April 2026
Despite the drama, Tariq bowled really well and picked up two wickets as Quetta Gladiators restricted Pindies to 121 and won the PSL 2026 encounter by 61 runs in Karachi on Friday.
