RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sources'Not your job': Usman Tariq's bold message to opponents over questions being raised on controversial bowling action originally appeared on Cricket News .
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq hit back at players questioning his bowling action, saying such concerns should be left to umpires.
Tariq revealed Tom Banton’s gesture during a match prompted his response, urging players to show professionalism.
The mystery spinner has faced scrutiny over his unique action, with opponents questioning its legality.
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Usman Tariq urges opponents to leave bowling action concerns to umpires
Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq has firmly retaliated against the criticism surrounding his unique bowling action, stating that the players of the opposing team need to focus on their games and not get into his business regarding his bowling action.
Tariq, known for his unusual stop-and-pitch delivery method, has become a topic of discussion after players have expressed their doubts about whether his bowling method is within the laws of cricket.
Speaking on Beard Before Wicket , Tariq alleged that Tom Banton made some gesture towards him in the middle of the game, which he considered to be crossing the line.
In the ILT20 2026 Qualifier 1 match in Abu Dhabi, playing in as a late replacement player for Lockie Ferguson for Desert Vipers, MI Emirates batter Tom Banton appeared to accuse Tariq of "throwing" after being dismissed by the Pakistan spinner.
"I think one day, Tom Banton made that gesture to my face. I felt like, 'This is not your job. You are not the one who will pinpoint these things'," Tariq commented on that.
"The umpires are already there and they are the ones who are going to question me. So being a professional player, I think we should be way more mature and intelligent to have the knowledge of the rules of this game."
Interestingly, the comments were aired just a day before Tariq endured a difficult outing in The Hundred , where he went wicketless and was smashed for back-to-back sixes by Tom Moores during Birmingham Phoenix's defeat to Southern Brave.
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Usman Tariq explains why he responded to Tom Banton's gesture
Talking about gestures and issues related to bowling actions, the Pakistani spinner concluded that cricket players should be more professional.
"It's better to give a message to the board that we are professionals and we do not have that character to do such kind of negative stuff," Tariq added.
"I felt at that time, when you are doing those types of things (gestures), it shows what character you have."
The bowler further said that although he usually does not like to get into any on-field confrontations, he could not help retaliating against the England batter.
"Whenever these happen, honestly, I don't respond. But when Tom Banton did that to my face, I also responded to him with some good words."
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Why Usman Tariq's bowling action continues to divide opinion
Tariq's bowling action has proved to be one of the major talking points about the player, especially due to the unique bowling action that he possesses. He has received queries regarding his bowling action in the past, and there have been instances where players like Tim David have raised eyebrows about his bowling action while facing him.
However, Tariq maintains that his bowling action has already been cleared and according to him, anything regarding the matter of the legality of the bowling action should be done by the umpire instead of other players.
Queries on bowling actions in cricket are not new, and it is completely acceptable for players to bring their queries to the notice of authorities. However, the matter of whether the bowling action is legal lies in the hands of the umpire and match officials, not in the gestures of players in the middle of a game.
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