Pakistan's chief selector Aaqib Javed courted controversy with a shocking analogy that drew parallels between India’s veteran speedster Jasprit Bumrah's pace, and Usman Tariq's spin, sparking a heated debate among cricket enthusiasts.
Javed's comments follow India's dominant T20 World Cup campaign, in which Bumrah was instrumental in the team's triumph. In a surprising turn, Javed drew a comparison with Usman Tariq, the enigmatic spinner who featured in the recent T20 World Cup, leaving many puzzled by the unusual parallel.
Tariq, touted as a threat to opposition batters, had a subdued World Cup, with Pakistan's early exit in the Super Eights stage.
Defending Tariq’s below-average performance, Aaqib stated, “You look at this entire T20 World Cup — there is only one bowler, Bumrah, who is also now going for runs. Because he doesn’t have a normal action and has a different bowling action, he doesn’t allow batters to gain rhythm or get into a flow. Wo fast bowlers ka Usman Tariq Hai (I would say he is a fast bowling’s Usman Tariq)."
“Other than him, tell me one more bowler in this entire World Cup - from any team - whom you can look at and feel satisfied that he carries the reflection of a Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, or anyone like that. You won’t find one anymore,” he said in a press conference.
Aaqib's comparison sparked widespread bemusement on social media, with fans mocking the juxtaposition of Bumrah's pace and Usman Tariq's spin.