Usman Tariq: Debate over Pakistan spinner’s action at the T20 World Cup explained

The regulations around whether a bowler is ‘throwing’ are simple.

Bowlers are not allowed to straighten their arm by more than 15 degrees from the time the arm reaches the shoulder in the bowling action.

“An illegal bowling action is a bowling action where the player’s elbow extension exceeds 15 degrees between their arm reaching the horizontal and the ball being released,” the International Cricket Council’s playing conditions say.

Bowlers with suspected actions are first reported by the on-field umpires or match referee and then must undergo testing at an ICC-approved testing centre.

Tariq’s action was cleared at the centre in Lahore, Pakistan.

The laws and regulations around Tariq’s pause are less clearcut, with the issue falling under the “unfair play” section of the laws and playing conditions – rather than being explicitly defined by a law.

The on-field umpires can interpret the unfair play law, possibly using Law 41.5 which covers the “deliberate distraction or deception of batter” or the more broader laws around unfair play, to ensure the match goes ahead fairly.

“If the pause is obviously longer or shorter, or if he bowls without a pause, that will be considered deception” was one interpretation offered by former ICC umpire Anil Chaudhary this week.

“Everything seems OK up to now. I am not seeing anything wrong.”

The issue came up in 2014 when former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin paused in his delivery stride, resulting in a tightening of how umpires interpreted these laws.

The umpires are left to judge whether the length of a pause in a bowler’s action is fair or unfair.