Pakistan Super League 2026 witnessed a fresh controversy on Friday in a match between Quetta Gladiators and Rawalpindis, as Daryl Mitchell was withdrawn twice during Usman Tariq’s bowling stoppage.The New Zealand batsman raised concerns about Tariq’s long layoff before his release. Mitchell pulled away twice during the match, before the officials intervened to allow play to continue.The incident occurred during the match between Quetta Gladiators and Rawalpindi Bindis. Facing Tariq in the ninth over, Mitchell played a paddle pass from the first ball he faced.However, he seemed uncomfortable with the pause in the pitcher’s movement.
He walked away twice, signaling a mid-action pause. The umpires then intervened and spoke to the batter before play resumed.
Tariq received three singles from the first three balls of the over. Before the fourth delivery, Mitchell pulled away at the last minute due to a delay. The referee approached him after repeated passes and had a short conversation before the match continued.Mitchell was later dismissed, caught and bowled by Saud Shakeel, as Bindis lost the match by 61 runs in Karachi.
Mitchell’s approach ties in with Ravichandran Ashwin’s advice. Tariq was a talking point during the T20 World Cup earlier this year, with Ashwin suggesting that batsmen should walk away, which would force the umpire to call a dead ball. By doing this, Ashwin believes the batsman can shift the delay back to the fielder and the umpire, minimizing any advantage gained from disrupting the timing.Tariq has come under scrutiny for stopping and starting his work. The warm-up period is followed by a pause before being released, after which he drops to his knees to complete the delivery.He was reported twice for suspicious action and was acquitted on both occasions.
