“I don’t know what the fuss is all about” - Salman Agha opens up on Usman Tariq’s bowling action controversy

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has broken the silence over the controversy surrounding their off-spinner Usman Tariq’s bowling and ‘pause-and-deliver’ action. Notably, Tariq scalped three important wickets against the USA to turn the game towards his side.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference against India, Salman Agha made it clear to the media that the off-spinner has already been tested and cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) twice. He went on to clarify that his team is unfazed by the controversy.

"The ICC has tested him and cleared him twice. I don’t know what the fuss is all about. Anyway, he doesn’t get bothered much by all this because, ever since he started playing, people have been talking about his action, so he is used to it," Salman Agha said in the pre-match press conference. 

“For us, every player is equal. You guys have made Usman Tariq this big. He has been bowling well. You can call him our trump card if you’d like,” he added.

Notably, this is not the first time Usman Tariq has involved in such a controversy. During Australia’s tour of Pakistan earlier this year, all-rounder Cameron Green appeared to mock Tariq’s action after being dismissed. 

While Tariq’s bowling action seems to be legal and approved by the ICC for his slower deliveries, his quicker deliveries turned out to be controversial during the game against the United States of America.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!