Usman Tariq took three wickets for 27 runs against the United States during the T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo, helping Pakistan win by 32 runs. But his performance was buried under accusations about his bowling action, which flew across social media. Fans called it chucking, videos went viral, and the 28-year-old Pakistan off-spinner found himself defending his action for what feels like the hundredth time in his career.
This is not new for Tariq. Cameron Green made a throwing gesture after being dismissed by him during an Australia versus Pakistan T20 series earlier in 2026. The video spread everywhere, and people started questioning whether his sidearm release with a visible pause before delivery breaks ICC rules. The question keeps coming back: Is his action actually illegal, or does it just look weird?
What Sparked the Latest Controversy
The trouble started during Pakistan’s T20 series against Australia in 2026 when Cameron Green got out to Tariq and immediately made a chucking motion with his arm. The gesture was caught on camera, and cricket fans online jumped on it.
Green never faced any punishment from the ICC for the gesture, even though their Code of Conduct bans inappropriate physical movements toward opponents. Pakistan chose not to file a complaint, likely to avoid a back-and-forth over player conduct.
The noise died down for a bit, but it roared back during the T20 World Cup 2026 group match between Pakistan and the United States in Colombo. Tariq bowled well that day, picking up three wickets and keeping pressure on the American batsmen.
Pakistan topped Group A after winning that match. But instead of talking about his bowling figures, social media went after his action again. People posted slow-motion clips of his delivery, pointing out the bent arm and the pause right before he releases the ball.
Former India wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami added fuel by comparing Tariq’s pause to football penalty rules. He said that football does not allow players to stop during their run-up to the ball, so cricket should not either. Ravichandran Ashwin jumped in to defend Tariq, saying you cannot judge a bowling action just by watching it on TV.
Ashwin also pointed out that batsmen can switch hit without telling the umpire, but bowlers have to announce if they change their bowling arm, calling it an unfair double standard in the T20 report.
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The ICC 15 Degree Rule Explained
The ICC allows all bowlers to straighten their elbows by up to 15 degrees while throwing. This measurement starts when the bowling arm is level with the ground and ends when the ball leaves the hand. If you throw the ball more than 15 degrees, it’s not bowling. The rule applies equally to fast bowlers and spinners, setting the same limit for everyone.
Natural elbow bend that exists before the arm goes horizontal does not count against the 15-degree limit. Some people have elbows that naturally sit at an angle even when their arm hangs loose. The ICC only measures how much the elbow straightens during the actual bowling motion, not what it looks like when standing still.
The 15-degree figure came from research conducted in the early 2000s after multiple bowlers were reported for suspect actions. Scientists tested bowlers in labs and found that pretty much everyone straightens their elbow at least a little bit when bowling.
Setting the limit at 15 degrees gave bowlers room to bowl naturally while still catching people who were clearly throwing. The rule made calls for throwing more fair because umpires couldn’t kick someone out just because they thought something was funny.
Biomechanical labs test bowlers by using cameras to track their joints throughout their entire action. The video is analysed frame by frame to obtain the exact angles of the elbows. The only way to know for sure if someone breaks the 15-degree rule is to do this lab work. The human eye can’t judge angles that closely during a live match.
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Why His Action Looks Suspicious to Viewers
The first thing is the pause before he lets it go. Most bowlers move smoothly from windup to release, but Tariq stops for a moment with the ball in his hand. This disrupts timing and breaks the rhythm that batsmen expect.
According to ICC Law 41.7, umpires can call a ball dead if a bowler does something unfairly distracting, but only if it happens from ball to ball. Tariq pauses on every delivery, making it his natural style rather than a trick. Anil Chaudhary confirmed his pause is consistent, which keeps it legal.
Second is how bent his arm looks when he bowls. His elbow appears to sit at an angle even before he starts. People see a bent arm and assume it must be straightening during delivery. But biomechanical tests measure extension, not how the arm looks standing still. If it straightens less than 15 degrees from horizontal to release, it stays legal.
Third is his side-arm release. Most off-spinners bowl from closer to over the top, but Tariq comes around the side with a slinky motion. This round-arm style looks odd and adds to the perception that something is wrong. Unusual does not mean illegal, though. Plenty of bowlers had weird-looking actions that stayed within the elbow extension limit.
What Cricket Experts Say
Washim Akram stated, “Look, I’m worried about Pakistan’s image for inclusion of someone like Usman Tariq. Let’s be honest, his action is suspect, and it will keep attracting allegations of chucking. And given our history with chucking, why is Pakistan management playing him?”
Ravichandran Ashwin defended Tariq hard when the World Cup controversy started. He said people watching on TV cannot judge whether an action breaks the 15-degree rule because measuring elbow angles needs specialized equipment. Ashwin also pointed out that batsmen can switch-hit without warning, yet bowlers get endless scrutiny over small quirks.
Usman Khawaja said being called a chucker carries a huge stigma. He mentioned that Tariq had cleared testing twice and should not keep defending himself over something that tests already proved was legal.
Tony McQuillan said the action looks unusual, but he could not see visible elbow straightening. His comment shows the gap between how something appears and what actually happens in lab tests.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha joked about the controversy, saying there is no issue with the action. His response shows the team has full confidence in Tariq’s cleared status.
Usman Tariq’s Explanation
Tariq said that his arm bends naturally and that it is a biological issue, not a technique issue. He said he had “two elbows” in his arm, a term for a type of body change some people have.
He probably means the bones next to his elbow joint. These extra-small bones create what appears to be a second hinge point. The extra bone structure gives his arm an unusual bend even when relaxed. Biomechanical testing accounts for natural variations in bone structure when measuring extension angles.
Tariq got tested and cleared twice. Nobody asked him to change how he bowls. If tests found he exceeded the 15-degree limit, he would have been told to do remedial work. The tests do not care how weird an arm looks standing still. They only measure whether the elbow straightens too much during delivery.
Current Legal Status
Usman Tariq has no ban from any cricket authority. The ICC has not opened an investigation. He cleared biomechanical testing twice in PSL matches. No international match official filed a formal report during ICC tournaments. He can bowl in any format without restrictions.
Social media lets fans analyze every delivery in slow motion and share opinions instantly. Clips get posted, people argue, and a player’s action gets put on trial even when the regulatory process has already cleared them.
For a ban to occur, officials must report it, the player must undergo lab testing, and the results must show an extension beyond 15 degrees. If testing clears the action, no ban follows regardless of what people think online.
Tariq keeps getting accused but never punished because testing shows his actions are fine. The threats against Mustafizur Rahman in IPL 2026 showed similar patterns, with public opinion and official rulings not aligning. Unless future tests find something different, Tariq will keep bowling with his unusual but clear action.
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