Pakistan captain has named his trump card for India clash.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha named Usman Tariq as their trump card ahead of the big clash against India at T20 World Cup 2026. A lot of chatter has been around his bowling action and delayed release, with the spinner seen as a potential threat to India’s ruthless batting unit.
While downplaying the idea of making Tariq the main figure for this marquee clash, Agha didn’t shy from publicly backing him to come good. In the press conference, he also cleared the air around his bowling action, highlighting that the ICC had cleared it before adding that those allegations don’t affect the bowler.
“For us, every player is equal. You guys have made Usman Tariq this big. He has been bowling well. He is our trump card. Usman has been cleared twice by the ICC. I don’t know why there is talk about his action. He doesn’t care about all this talk.”
As if his debated bowling action weren’t enough, Usman Tariq has been in the limelight for his pause before releasing the ball, which has been deemed unfair by numerous experts and fans since the start of the T20 World Cup 2026. Ashwin also explained the loophole in his pause that India could raise with the on-field umpires during the match, ensuring the spotlight remains firmly on the Pakistani spinner.
When asked about Abhishek Sharma, who didn’t play the Namibia game due to a stomach infection, Pakistan captain exclaimed that he wants the India batter to play. Oozing confidence in his team’s abilities, Salman Ali Agha said they are eager to compete against the best players in the opposition ranks.
“I hope Abhishek Sharma plays tomorrow. I hope he’s recovering well. We want to play against the best.”
Doubts remain around Abhishek’s participation in the Pakistan game, but India would want him to recover in time, given Sanju Samson’s recent issues at the top. He was instrumental in the team’s hat-trick of wins against the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup 2025, where the southpaw accumulated 110 runs at an average of 36.66 and a strike rate of 189.65 across three innings, including a fifty.
Abhishek will be India’s best bet to counter Pakistani spinners on the slow Colombo deck, where spinners will play a crucial role, as Agha explained. Even otherwise, he remains one of the best batters in the side and will carry a certain fear factor, having tormented Pakistan on the big stage before.
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