Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja has publicly come out in support of Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq after controversy erupted during the second T20I between Australia and Pakistan last week. The issue began when Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, after getting out to Tariq, was seen making a gesture on live television that many viewers interpreted as suggesting “chucking”.
The clip quickly went viral and sparked heated debate on social media. Usman Tariq, 28, has faced scrutiny over his bowling action in the past. His action was reported twice during the Pakistan Super League, but on both occasions he was cleared after undergoing official testing. Despite this, Green’s gesture reopened the discussion, with opinions sharply divided online. Khawaja, who retired from international cricket after the fifth Ashes Test in January 2026, stepped in to defend the Pakistani spinner. Taking to Instagram Stories, he urged fans to show restraint and empathy. “There aren’t many things worse than being called a chucker in cricket. The stigma is real. The man is just doing his best and has been cleared twice. Let’s have some perspective and understanding and stop jumping to conclusions,” he wrote. Tariq himself has earlier explained the reason behind his action. He said a biological condition in his elbow makes it difficult to fully straighten his arm, which can sometimes look misleading to spectators. “There are two corners on my elbow which make it hard for me to straighten. That causes confusion for the spectators. I have given two tests at labs in Pakistan. My action was cleared,” Tariq said. He added, “I was confident about my action because I know that I am not throwing.” On the field, Tariq has delivered solid performances. In his lone T20I appearance against Australia, he picked up figures of 2/16. He is part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad and is expected to play a key role when the tournament begins on February 7 against the Netherlands. Pakistan recently swept a depleted Australian side 3-0 in the T20I series, after which both teams travelled to Sri Lanka for the World Cup, leaving the controversy behind but the debate still alive.
