Mohammad Hafeez has claimed that the chatter around Usman Tariq is a psychological win for Pakistan over India ahead of their T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, February 15. Hafeez feels that the spinner has created panic within the Indian camp.
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez feels that the chatter around Usman Tariq is already a psychological win for Salman Ali Agha and his side over India ahead of their T20 World Cup clash on Sunday, February 15. Tariq and his unorthodox bowling style have been the talk of the town ever since he made his international debut and especially in the build-up to the India vs Pakistan match.
Both Agha and India captain Suryakumar Yadav were asked questions about the spinner during the pre-match press conferences, with fans and pundits on both sides commenting on the impact he could have on the game. Tariq has played just four T20Is for Pakistan and has 11 wickets to his name, averaging 7.9. While previewing the India vs Pakistan game, Hafeez pointed out how there is panic within the Indian camp about the spinner, and special practice is being done to tackle him.
“If we go inside the cricketing aspect, the hype created around Usman Tariq is another psychological victory for us. Right now, no one is talking about Babar Azam or any other player. People are talking only about Usman Tariq. He has played just one or two games for Pakistan, but just imagine the amount of panic he has created in the Indian camp. They are specifically practicing against him in their sessions.”
“How many times have you seen so much discussion about just one player? The entire media, the hype, the world — they are not only thinking about the match result, but about what Usman Tariq will do tomorrow,” said Hafeez.
HOW SHOULD PAKISTAN USE TARIQ VS INDIA?
Hafeez claimed that Tariq is a strong character and can single-handedly win matches for Pakistan. He urged Agha to only use the spinner as an attacking option, where he feels the 28-year-old can create the best impact during the clash against India.
“Now I want to see how positively Salman Agha makes decisions as captain and how he uses Usman Tariq. If he uses him defensively, nothing will work for Pakistan. You need an attacking mindset when you use Usman Tariq. It could even be the sixth over, which I believe is always a very important over for a bowling unit — usually bowled by your most impactful bowler.”
