By our correspondent
LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators’ spinner Usman Tariq has been officially cleared of having a suspect bowling action, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed. Tariq had been reported by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Chris Brown during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 match against Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on April 13. While he was allowed to continue bowling under the league’s regulations, the Gladiators’ management chose to sideline him and requested the PCB to conduct a formal assessment of his action.
Following the request, Tariq underwent a thorough evaluation at the PCB-accredited biomechanics lab in Lahore. The results of the test confirmed that his bowling action was within the legal limits. The PCB issued an official statement confirming Tariq’s clearance, saying, “Usman Tariq, who was earlier reported for a suspect bowling action, has cleared his bowling assessment after undergoing testing at the PCB-accredited biomechanics lab in Lahore.”
This marks the second instance that Tariq had been reported for a suspect bowling action during a PSL season. He had previously been flagged during PSL 9 in a match against Karachi Kings, where umpires Richard Illingworth and Asif Yaqoob raised concerns about his action.
After a relatively quiet 2024 season, where he claimed just two wickets in five matches, Tariq has returned to form in PSL 10, taking three wickets in two games so far. His clearance comes as a boost for Quetta Gladiators, who currently sit at the top of the PSL 10 points table with 13 points from nine matches, securing a top-two finish going into the playoffs.
