Ravichandran Ashwin suggested that India can use a rule loophole related to Usman Tariq pause in his run-up during the IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 match.
Ravichandran Ashwin shared an interesting tactical idea for India’s batters ahead of the T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan. He said the batters can use the rules wisely when facing mystery spinner Usman Tariq, especially because of his unusual bowling action.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin explained that batters are allowed to step away from the crease if they feel unsure during the bowler’s run-up. And if he was there in the middle he would have definately done that.
“There is one thing I want to see. I want to see who has the courage to do it. If he comes in to bowl and then stops, the batter has the right to move away. He can say that he did not know when the ball was going to be delivered and felt the bowler had stopped,” Ashwin said.
“It would become an interesting case and a huge headache for the umpire. Can any Indian batter do that? If I was there, I would definitely do it” he added.
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An ICC spokesperson in 2014 on ESPNcricinfo said that there is no set time limit to judge a bowler’s pause before delivery, and it is up to the umpires to decide if it is unfair.
“There is no stopwatch being used to measure the length of the pause,” an ICC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “This is one issue where the umpires on the day need to judge what is unfair.
“The pause before delivery has not been specifically outlawed but each incident of this nature will be judged on its merits and will be dealt with under Law 42.2. When the umpires feel that a bowler is deliberately using this tactic unfairly to distract a batsman they can rule dead ball.”
If Indian batters complain about Usman Tariq’s pause, it will be completely up to the umpire to decide whether it is fair or not.
Usman Tariq’s bowling action has been questioned before, first over his elbow and now because of the pause in his run-up. Some players, including Tom Banton and Cameron Green, have earlier looked unhappy while facing his action.
Ashwin had said earlier that only the ICC can judge whether a bowling action is legal. If Tariq has been cleared, then his action is allowed under the rules. However, the rule loophole Ashwin mentioned adds another angle. It will be interesting to see if any batter tries it and what decision does umpire take.
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