For the second time in as many PSL seasons, Quetta Gladiators offspinner Usman Tariq has been reported for a suspect action. Tariq, 27, was reported by umpires Ahsan Raza and Chris Brown during Gladiators' clash against Lahore Qalandars, who won by 79 runs. It was the second match Tariq played this season; he took one wicket for 31 runs in his four-over spell.
Tariq can continue to bowl; however, should his action be reported by the umpires in any subsequent match, he will be suspended from bowling. A resumption will require clearance of his action from an ICC accredited lab.
Tariq was first reported in March 2024 during the previous edition of the PSL, three matches into that tournament. However, five days later, his action was cleared at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, and he continued to bowl without interruption. This time too, he will eventually need a clearance.
It was the season Tariq first came to wider cricketing attention. His action is visibly uncontemporary; the run-up to his offbreak deliveries is not unusual, but he pauses exaggeratedly at the point of delivery, coming to a near-complete halt for up to two seconds, before sending down offbreaks with a slinging, side-arm action.
There is no word yet on when his bowling action test can be arranged. Pakistan do have an ICC-accredited biomechanics laboratory in Lahore, but Gladiators do not play there until April 25. They have played two matches so far this tournament, comfortably beating Peshawar Zalmi in their opener, before succumbing to a heavy defeat against Qalandars on Sunday.