Colombo weather and off-field drama dominate India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 meeting

New Delhi:

Three things have dominated the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup build-up ever since the Pakistani government changed its stance on a boycott. One: the Colombo weather, second: Usman Tariq and his bowling action and the third: the handshake probability.

The R Premadasa Stadium is set to witness the two arch-rivals in action as India and Pakistan take the field in Colombo for what has been a politically-hyped clash in recent times. The weather, as it stands, is clear as there has been no rain falling in Colombo on the matchday despite predictions stating a low-pressure area is to be formed at the Bay of Bengal with thunderstorms expected throughout the afternoon on February 15, the match day.

There is suspense on the handshakes with both the captains staying tight-lipped on the eve of this fixture. "Wait for 24 hours. Eat well, sleep well, we will see tomorrow," SKY said in the press conference on the eve of the game.

Agha was more positive on the handshakes. “Cricket should be played in spirit. My personal opinion may not matter, but cricket should be played the way it has always been played. It’s up to them to decide what to do,” Agha said in the presser.

What is the thing behind Usman Tariq?

The other, now, Usman Tariq and his bowling action. Not many Pakistani spinners made Indian batters think as this tall 6ft 4in man has done. The 28-year-old charges to the crease and stops mid-way in his stride before delivering his ball, and that too with a sling arm. 

He was under scrutiny during Pakistan's home series against Australia when he dismissed Cameron Green, who was seen fuming while walking back and imitating his action, expressing his anger over it. While he apologised later, Tariq's action was in the headlines.

It is more now as India and Pakistan face each other for the ninth time in the T20 World Cups, with both teams under pressure due to the politics involved. Tariq will be under the scanner once again when he takes the field against India for the first time.

But is Tariq's action legal?

In short, his action is not illegal. The ICC's rules say that "an illegal Bowling Action is where a player is throwing rather than bowling the ball. This is defined by the ICC as being where the player’s elbow extends by an amount of more than 15 degrees between their arm reaching the horizontal and the ball being released. Match Officials in international cricket use the naked eye and their cricketing experience to decide whether they believe a player may be using an Illegal Bowling Action and, if so, they will submit a report."

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and veteran Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary have thrown their weight behind the Pakistani spinner over the action. “Firstly, the legalities of his action can only be tested at an ICC bowling action testing Centre. Secondly, there is a 15-degree rule under which a bowler needs to keep his elbow and straighten it and to judge if a bowler is bowling within that 15° mark by the onfield Umpire is impossible,” Ashwin wrote.

“The only solution to that is having a real time in competition testing tool. The above is a grey area, and to accuse someone for utilising the grey area is wrong. Finally, if the pause at the crease is legal or not, and that’s where I believe that it is entirely legal because that is his regular action,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chaudhary stated that the action is absolutely fine. “If you look at his action, it is slightly side-on and a bit different, and he bowls with a slight pause. However, since he delivers all his balls in the same manner, and in his arm, there is no bending and straightening as per the guidelines, the action is absolutely fine. It is different, and he bowls with a pause, but he delivers all balls in the same way. In my opinion, his action is fair, and this is a fair delivery,” Chaudhary said on his Instagram handle.

Was Tariq reported for his action?

Yes, he was and infact twice. And he has been cleared by the International Cricket Council-approved biomechanics labs during his testing. 

Tariq has also highlighted that he has been cleared. “I have two elbows in my arm,” Tariq said. "My arm bends naturally. I have got this tested and cleared. Everyone feels I bend my arm and all that. My bent arm is a biological issue.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha also reverberated the same on the eve of the India-Pakistan clash. “The ICC has tested him and cleared him twice. I don’t know what the fuss is all about. Anyway, he doesn’t get bothered much by all this because, ever since he started playing, people have been talking about his action, so he is used to it,” Agha said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday