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

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has opened up on the controversy surrounding the off-spinner Usman Tariq’s bowling and ‘pause-and-deliver’ action, which came to the limelight during the game between Pakistan and the USA.

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Speaking ahead of the game against India, Salman Agha asserted that the off-spinner has already been tested and cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on two instances, adding 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.

For the unversed, 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, his quicker deliveries hogged the limelight during the game against the USA as he scalped three wickets to help Pakistan win the game quite comfortably.

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.

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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.

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