His action has been a talking point again after his debut for Pakistan last night.
Is Usman Tariq chucking? This has been the first question among viewers at the moment. He has been reported twice – once in PSL 2024 and then in PSL 2025 – and viewers feel his elbow extends beyond the limit.
His action has been a talking point again after he made his international debut for Pakistan in the third T20I against South Africa. Tariq bowled exceptionally well and delivered a match-winning spell of 2/26 to help Pakistan win the series.
However, after videos of his bowling action went viral, several viewers began asking: Is Usman Tariq chucking? Fortunately for him, the on-field umpires didn’t report his action to the officials, which would come as a massive relief for the team.
During an interview with MYK Sports, Usman Tariq bowling action was questioned again, where he explained how his arm is different from usual. He said he doesn’t bowl with an illegal action, but his body frame is different because he has two elbows.
“Unique action is liye hain kyun ki meri body dimensions bhi unique hain. Mere jo body frame hain, woh common person ki tarah nahin hain [My action is unique because my body dimensions are unique. My body frame is not like the common person’s]. I do have two elbows in my arm. To yeh natural hain, jis ke wajah se meri do haathon mein bend hain. Woh test hua, aur mera test clear bhi aaya. [My arm bends naturally. I have got this tested and cleared].”
While his action has been reported twice, Tariq has been cleared on both occasions after the PCB conducted a biomechanical test to verify it. So, while visuals show he bends a lot, it’s because of his unique elbow, but it’s well within the rules.
The ICC rule defines that a player’s elbow must not bend beyond 15 degrees while delivering the ball. If it exceeded the limit, ICC labels it ‘throwing’, not ‘bowling’.
“An Illegal Bowling Action is where a player is throwing rather than bowling the ball. This is defined by the ICC 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.”
If the umpires suspect a bowler’s action is illegal, they submit a report. Then, the bowler has to get a clearance from an ICC Accredited Testing Centre, and they are allowed to continue only after clearance.
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So, finally, the question arises: Is Usman Tariq chucking? As of now, there’s no certainty, but with naked eyes, it definitely looks suspicious, even though that doesn’t mean he is chucking.
The PCB has cleared Tariq as of now, and the umpires didn’t report his action in his maiden international game either. That suggests he might be safe for now and can resume bowling, but his action will remain under constant scrutiny.
It also depends on the officials, as some might feel he is within the rules, while others would like him to get tested at an ICC centre. There will be more clarity as he plays more matches for Pakistan in the coming days.
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