Usman Tariq recalls Sunil Narine's support during bowling action controversy

KARACHI: Pakistan's rising mystery spinner Usman Tariq has revealed that legendary West Indies bowling all-rounder Sunil Narine offered valuable support during the controversy surrounding his bowling action.

Tariq, who 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), has been in the headlines since then due to his unique bowling action.

The 28-year-old has also been on the receiving end of accusations of an illegal bowling action, with England's Tom Banton and Australia's Cameron Green seen making a "thrown" gesture on different occasions.

According to cricket's laws, a bowler's arm can flex up to a maximum of 15 degrees during delivery, and Tariq insists his action falls well within these limits, citing the unique anatomy of his elbow.

"There are two corners on my elbow which make it hard for me to straighten fully," Tariq had explained earlier this year during the ILT20 stint.

The towering spinner was also targeted by Indian media ahead of the blockbuster ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 fixture between traditional rivals Pakistan and India, suggesting that the Green Shirts were not including the towering spinner in their lineup for the preceding matches in a bid to utilise him for the aforementioned game.

Usman Tariq, however, was slotted into Pakistan's playing XI for the second T20I of the three-match home series against Australia, which preceded their respective World Cup campaigns and also went on to play the mega event, putting an end to the propaganda being run by the Indian media.

Meanwhile, months after the controversy surrounding his unorthodox bowling action, Tariq, during an interview with former Pakistan batter Fawad Alam, has revealed that legendary West Indies bowling all-rounder Narine called him during the period and advised him not to respond to the criticism and keep going.

"Sunil Narine called me, and we spoke for almost 30 minutes. He told me, 'Whatever these people are doing, don't respond to them. They're only doing this because they can't pick you. Just keep doing what you're doing'."

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 the go-ahead by the ICC-accredited biomechanics lab after bowling 24 deliveries.