India, April 13 -- Usman Tariq has quickly become one of the most talked-about bowlers in world cricket, and a big reason for that is his unusual action. The off-spinner uses a stop-and-pause, side-arm technique that really throws batters off. It breaks their rhythm and makes it hard to read what's coming next.

His style grabbed global attention during the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. While some people admired how effective it was, others weren't so sure, questioning whether it gave him an unfair advantage.

R Ashwin's Early Advice

Even before India faced Pakistan in that tournament, Ravichandran Ashwin had already suggested a way to handle Tariq's approach. He advised batters to simply step away from their stance whenever Tariq paused...