Unusual? Yes. Crafty? Most definitely.

But illegal? Almost certainly not.

That’s the consensus view within Australian cricket about the bowling action of Pakistan’s Usman Tariq, who flummoxed Cameron Green and drew a heated reaction from the Australian allrounder after his dismissal during a 3-0 Twenty20 series hiding.

Pakistan bowler Usman Tariq’s homespun bowling action has been questioned before but cleared.Credit: AP

While spin bowlers of all kinds caused trouble for the Australians in Lahore, with a bit of help from the left-arm pace and swing of Shaheen Afridi, it was Tariq’s curious bowling style and Green’s angry response that turned most heads.

Tariq, a seasoned operator on the franchise T20 circuit, has played only three times for Pakistan in international games, but he seems likely to be an ace up the sleeve of Salman Ali Agha’s team during the looming T20 World Cup.

Pakistan, it seems, have used Tariq sparingly precisely because his action takes some getting used to, and in the hectic T20........

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