Ashwin suggests tactical mind game to counter Usman Tariq’s stop-start action

Indian off-spin veteran Ravichandran Ashwin has sparked debate with his candid remarks on how batters could legally counter Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq, suggesting that exploiting the laws of the game could put the bowler under immense pressure.

Speaking about Tariq’s tendency to pause in his delivery stride, Ashwin said that if a bowler approaches the crease and appears to stop before releasing the ball, the batter has every right to move away. “If he comes and stops for bowling, the batsman has the right to move away. He can say, ‘I thought he was stopping,’” Ashwin explained.

The former India spinner added that such a situation would create a “huge headache for the umpire,” as it would fall on the match official to determine whether the bowler had completed his action or attempted to deceive the batter. According to Ashwin, this grey area in the rules could be tactically used within the framework of the law.

“I will do whatever I can to win under the rule,” Ashwin said. “I have no idea when he will release the ball and I will move away. If I move away, the umpire has the responsibility.”

Ashwin suggested that repeated instances of a batter stepping away could disrupt the rhythm of a bowler like Tariq, especially in high-pressure situations. “Imagine the pressure that it will put on Usman Tariq in the middle of the match,” he remarked, hinting that such tactics could neutralize even a team’s ‘ace’ bowler. “There is an ace in a team — and suddenly what happens to the ace? Zero.”

The comments underline Ashwin’s well-known cricketing acumen and his willingness to explore every tactical avenue permitted by the laws of the game. While his remarks were hypothetical, they have already stirred discussion among fans and analysts about sportsmanship, interpretation of the rules, and the mental battle between bat and ball.

Whether any batter chooses to adopt such an approach against Tariq remains to be seen, but Ashwin’s observations have certainly added another layer to the ongoing tactical discourse in modern cricket.