Daryl Mitchell takes offence to Usman Tariq's repeated pausing in PSL 2026, refuses to face spinner; umpire steps in

Drama in PSL after Daryl Mitchell took offence to Usman Tariq's repeated pauses during the match. Here's what happened.

Updated on: Apr 11, 2026, 12:50:46 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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The drama just won't end when it comes to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026. The 11th edition of the T20 tournament has seen it all - ball tampering scandal, players being reprimanded for breaching security protocols and whatnot. The latest flashpoint occurred during the fixture between Quetta Gladiators and Rawalpindiz at the National Stadium in Karachi on Friday. The incident happened in the ninth over of the latter's chase when middle-order batter Daryl Mitchell took offence to Usman Tariq repeatedly pausing in his action.

Daryl Mitchell moved away as Usman Tariq paused in his bowling stride. (Screengrab - X)

The senior New Zealand batter was clearly not pleased with Tariq's pause, and hence he backed away twice and refused to face the spinner. In his very own way, Mitchell protested against the bowler's unique pause before delivering the ball.

The ninth over saw Tariq approach the crease and perform his trademark stutter, halting his momentum before releasing the ball. However, Mitchell was having none of it, and he stepped away from his stumps twice, signalling to the umpire that he wasn't ready to face the delivery.

Also Read: IPL disregarded as ‘more of a movie’ than actual cricket; PSL given prestigious honour by veteran South Africa batter

The on-field umpires then had to step in and explain to Mitchell. Ramiz Raja, who was on commentary at that time, then expressed frustration, asking the batter to get on with it.

“Can he withdraw from his action? I think the umpires have to sort this out. And I think he's got to be ready. Daryl Mitchell has got to be better than that,” said Raja.

Tariq is not new to controversy. Earlier during the T20 World Cup 2026, pauses in his bowling action became a major talking point, and several pundits debated whether his action was legal.

Ashwin's suggestion

However, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stated that he doesn't find any issue with Tariq's action. He also asked the batters to use the laws of the game to counter the pause in the spinner's action.

He stated that the batters are well within their rights to withdraw if they are confused by the pause in Tariq's action. It is worth noting that Tariq was cleared by the ICC twice, and no issues were found with his bowling action.

Speaking of the game between Quetta and Pindiz, the former came out on top by 61 runs after defending 182/6. Tariq just gave away 23 runs in his quota of four overs, dismissing Abdullah Fazal and Mubasir Khan. Saud Shakeel and Jahandad Khan also scalped two wickets each as Pindiz were bowled out for 121.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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