Salman defends 'X factor' Tariq's action

Pakistan will face Netherlands in the tournament opener

COLOMBO:

Pakistan captain Salman Agha defended off-spinner Usman Tariq's unorthodox bowling action on Friday and called him the side's "X factor" on the eve of their Twenty20 World Cup opener against the Netherlands in Colombo.

Tariq, who has played three T20 Internationals since his debut against South Africa in November, has been reported twice for a suspect bowling action in the Pakistan Super League. His bowling style culminates in him pausing near the crease before firing the ball in with a side-arm sling-shot action.

The 28-year-old claimed two wickets in his second T20 International, against Australia, and Australia batsman Cameron Green - one of his two victims in that match in Lahore - made a chucking gesture after being dismissed as he made his way off.

"I don't understand why we are talking about his action because in my opinion it is a fair action," Salman told reporters.

"He has been tested twice and he has been cleared."

"I think there is no problem in his action. Yes, he is the X factor of the team, and where we feel that we need an X factor, we will definitely use him."

Having decided to boycott their Group A contest against defending champions India over political tensions between the neighbouring nations, Pakistan will have little margin for error in their bid to qualify for the Super 8 stage.

Apart from India, the group also contains the United States, who stunned Pakistan via the Super Over in the 2024 edition of the tournament.

Salman said they would have to be at their best even against second-tier teams like Namibia or the Netherlands.

"It is very important because you haven't played much against these sides and you don't really know their strength and weakness are," he said.

"So it is very, very important to bring your A game, and we as a team only think about how we can execute our plans for 40 overs."

 

No room for error

Captain Salman Agha warned Friday that his Pakistan team must bring their "A-game" to the T20 World Cup to reach the knockout stages after forfeiting their group match against India.

The tournament has been overshadowed by an acrimonious political build-up as Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland and Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A fixture.

 

Pakistan will lose two points for the forfeit and also suffer a significant blow to their net run rate, leaving little margin for error.

Even one abandoned match due to bad weather could complicate their path to the next round.

Pakistan open their campaign on Saturday in Sri Lanka against the Netherlands and will also face Namibia and the United States.

"We need to be cautious and bring our A-game," Agha told reporters, admitting Pakistan have limited experience of the Netherlands and "don't know many" of their players.

"We intend to unleash all our spin options because we feel they are vulnerable against quality spin," he said.

The 2009 champions will lean heavily on their explosive opening pair Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, with Agha slated for number three.

Former skipper Babar Azam -- who has struggled for form -- slots in at number four.

"Babar has been working overtime on his game. He's a key player in these conditions and can change a match in a few overs. We depend on him heavily," Agha said.

Pakistan are on a high after a 3-0 whitewash of Australia at home.

The team will seek advice from their government if they reach the knockout phase and meet arch-rivals India.