Narine’s quiet advice helped Tariq silence the noise on his action
Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq has shared how a call from West Indies great Sunil Narine helped him push through one of the toughest stretches of his career, as questions swirled around the legality of his bowling action.
Tariq broke into international cricket last year, earning his debut against South Africa after a string of impressive performances for Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League. Since then, his unconventional action has become a talking point almost every time he takes the ball.
The 28-year-old has repeatedly had to defend himself, after both England batter Tom Banton and Australian all-rounder Cameron Green appeared to signal suspicion over a possible throw during separate matches. ICC regulations allow bowlers to straighten their arm by up to 15 degrees mid-delivery, and Tariq maintains he stays well within that limit. He puts the unusual look of his action down to the natural structure of his elbow rather than anything illegal.
He made a similar point earlier this year while playing in the ILT20, explaining that his elbow simply does not allow him to straighten his arm fully, regardless of how his action might appear from the outside.
The debate resurfaced ahead of Pakistan’s blockbuster clash with India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, when parts of the Indian media suggested he was being held back from earlier games purely to keep him fresh for that one fixture. The theory did not hold up for long, since Tariq had already featured in Pakistan’s second T20I against Australia before the tournament, and he went on to play his part throughout the World Cup.
Speaking with former Pakistan batter Fawad Alam, Tariq revealed that Narine had called him directly during the most intense period of criticism. According to Tariq, the two spoke for close to 30 minutes, with Narine telling him to tune out the noise, stay consistent with his cricket, and remember that critics were only targeting him because they struggled to counter his bowling.
Tariq’s action has been reported twice across his career, and both times he was cleared after review. The most recent clearance followed testing at an ICC-accredited biomechanics laboratory, where he bowled 24 deliveries for analysis before being given the green light to continue.
