Quetta Gladiators spinner Usman Tariq has been reported for a suspect bowling action for the second time in his career.
Tariq dismissed Sikandar Raza in his second game of this year's Pakistan Super League on Sunday (April 13) against Lahore Qalandars, returning figures of 1-31 in an eventual 79-run defeat for Gladiators. He had taken 2-26 in Gladiators' opening game of the tournament, an 80-run win over Peshawar Zalmi.
However, following the match against Qalandars the PCB announced that Tariq had been reported by umpires Ahsan Raza and Chris Brown for a suspect bowling action. While Tariq will be allowed to continue to bowl in the tournament, if he is reported again he will need to secure clearance from the ICC before being allowed to bowl further.
Check out this action and run-up!
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 29, 2024
Usman Tariq with his first PSL wicket in just his third game of professional cricket. #PSL2024pic.twitter.com/I6ynrVntpc
The ICC's bowling regulations state that an illegal action is defined as being "where the player's elbow extends by an amount of more than 15 degrees between their arm reaching the horizontal and the ball being released."
This is not the first time Tariq has been reported for a potential breach of that rule. In last year's PSL, Tariq was reported following a Gladiators' game against Karachi Kings. However, he was subsequently cleared to continue bowling after he underwent a review of his action at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Tariq's action has generated interest since he made his PSL debut last year. As a right-arm spinner, he comes to an almost-complete stop before his delivery stride, before his bowling arm comes round from a slingy side-arm angle to send down off-spinners. While he was a sporadic presence in Gladiators' side last year, with Abrar Ahmed the preferred spinner in the squad, he has played both of their matches so far this year alongside Abrar.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
