Usman Tariq's inclusion in second T20I quashes India's propaganda ahead of T20 World Cup

LAHORE: Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first in the second T20I of the three-match home series against Australia here at the Gaddafi Stadium, making three changes to their lineup, including bringing right-arm spinner Usman Tariq.

Tariq made his international debut for Pakistan in the home T20I series against South Africa last year on the back of his ground-breaking Caribbean Premier League (CPL) stint for Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).

The off-spinner finished as the second leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 20 scalps, only behind Imran Tahir's 23, and thus played a pivotal role in leading TKR to the title victory.

Tariq made an immediate impact at the international circuit as he registered a hat-trick in his second appearance – the fourth match of the Pakistan-hosted T20I tri-series against Zimbabwe – and became just the fourth bowler from the country to achieve the feat in the shortest format.

However, despite his hat-trick, Tariq could not make a cut into Pakistan's playing XI for the remainder of the series, followed by the Sri Lanka tour, but managed to get slotted in the Green Shirts' squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8.

His absence from Pakistan's lineup prompted Indian fans to allege that the 2009 champions were protecting the 28-year-old from getting suspended due to an 'illegal' bowling action and would utilise him for the blockbuster fixture against the arch-rivals, set to be played in Colombo on February 15.

"[…] They don't care about suspensions or rules. They will use Usman Tariq illegally just for one match. BCCI must stay alert wake up BCCI," an Indian fan, bearing the username Gandib Borah, posted on X.

"Why Pakistan is hiding Usman Tariq, if he is part of T2OI WC 2026? He is a certified chuker & they are not playing him at all since last 2 series so that he doesn't get banned ahead of T2OI WC 2026, they will directly play him against us in WC so that even if he gets banned, at least he play against us in Sri Lanka," another user wrote on the social media platform.

"This should not be happening, there are enough evidences that he is a chucker & he should be banned before start of world cup whether he plays in this series or not."

An Indian fan, bearing the username Adarsh, levelled similar allegations while citing Tariq's hat-trick in his last international appearance.

"Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq is a certified chucker. Pakistan is not playing him any game since last 2 series. He had a hattrick before that. Pakistan is planning to play him directly vs India to escape ban before WC."

For the unversed, Tariq has been reported for a suspect bowling action twice in his budding career, but was later cleared on both instances. Last year, he was given a go-ahead by the ICC-accredited biomechanics lab after bowling 24 deliveries.

According to cricket's laws, a bowler's arm can bend up to a maximum of 15 degrees while bowling, and Tariq, who has a slingy action, insists it falls well within these limits, citing the unique structure of his elbow.

"There are two corners on my elbow which make it hard for me to straighten fully," Tariq explained.

"As you can see from history, whenever spinners faced allegations of chucking, they went to the lab, tried to modify their action, and worked on the correct degree of flexion. That sometimes confuses spectators. I have undergone two official tests in Pakistan, and my action was cleared. Unlike others, I didn't have to change anything. I was confident because I know I am not throwing."