Saud Shakeel: “Mystery spinners have come and gone all over the world. They have their phase, and then teams figure them out. It then depends on what variety the bowler brings back. Usman Tariq is facing the same situation that all mystery spinners face”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Saud Shakeel has said Usman Tariq is facing the same challenge as all mystery spinners, with opposition teams beginning to work him out.
Tariq became an overnight sensation thanks to his unorthodox bowling action and consistent wicket-taking ability.
However, with the 28-year-old starting to lose some of his mystery, Shakeel acknowledged that Tariq must devise a plan to continue deceiving opposition batters.
“Mystery spinners have come and gone all over the world. They have their phase, and then teams figure them out. It then depends on what variety the bowler brings back. Usman Tariq is facing the same situation that all mystery spinners face. Now we will see how he extricates himself from this situation,” he told Geo News.
Tariq was not picked for Pakistan’s recent three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, which they won 2-1.
He was also overlooked for the ongoing ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England, which began with the men in green taking down Sri Lanka by 37 runs.
Next up for Pakistan will be a clash against England on October 20 in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan’s Squad for the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Sufyan Moqim