The T20I cricket match between Pakistan and Australia took an unexpected turn when Pakistani spinner Usman Tariq seemingly mocked Cameron Green, an Australian all-rounder, on social media. The incident occurred after Green appeared to accuse Tariq of chucking during the second T20 match in Lahore, resulting in Australia's heaviest T20I defeat in 21 years. But here's where it gets controversial...
Tariq, playing his third T20I, finished with figures of 2-16 from 2.4 overs, also dismissing Australian tailender Matthew Kuhnemann. There is currently no indication that the Australian team or umpires have lodged a format complaint into Tariq's bowling action. However, this isn't the first time that Tariq has faced accusations of chucking. He has twice been reported for a suspected illegal action while representing the Quetta Gladiators during the Pakistan Super League 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Tariq's bowling action is unorthodox; after pausing at the point of delivery, coming to a near-complete halt, he produces off-breaks with a slinging action and a pronounced bend in his arm. He has played in multiple T20 domestic leagues since making his professional debut in 2023, including the Caribbean Premier League and the United Arab Emirates' ILT20, while he has tallied eight T20I wickets at 7.50 with an impressive economy rate of 5.62.
Under ICC regulations, a bowling action is deemed illegal if a player's elbow extends by more than 15 degrees during the delivery stride. However, any natural elbow hyperextension is discounted when assessing legality.
Tariq has twice undergone biomechanical testing at Lahore's National Cricket Academy, and experts on both occasions cleared his action and he was permitted to continue bowling in the T20 tournament. Last year, Tariq explained the bent arm in his bowling action was due to a physical condition, his apparent double-jointed elbow, dismissing allegations of chucking.
"I do have two elbows in my arm. My arm bends naturally," he told MYK Sports. "I have got this tested and cleared. Everyone feels I bend my arms and all that. My bent arm is a biological issue."
However, throwing accusations continued to follow Tariq, with his bowling action once again coming under scrutiny following Pakistan's four-wicket victory over South Africa in November. Later that month, he was named player of the match after taking career-best figures of 4-18 against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi, including a hat-trick.
Speaking to The National during last month's ILT20, when England's cricketer Tom Banton accused him of an illegal action, Tariq hit back at "illiterate" cricket fans that continued to question the legitimacy of his bowling. "There are two corners on my (elbow) which makes it hard for me to straighten," he said. "That makes confusion for the spectators. I have given two tests at labs in Pakistan. My action was cleared."
Tariq isn't the only Pakistani cricketer that Australian cricketers have accused of chucking. In 2022, fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain was twice mocked by Australian players for a suspect bowling action, by Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques during a Big Bash League match and by all-rounder Marcus Stoinis in a Hundred contest. In February of that year, Hasnain was banned from bowling after biomechanical testing in Lahore confirmed his action was illegal, forced to undergo remedial work on his bowling.
And this is the part most people miss... The third and final T20 between Pakistan and Australia gets underway at the same venue on Sunday at 10pm AEDT. Will the match be free of further accusations of chucking? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: the controversy surrounding Usman Tariq's bowling action is far from over.
