Watch the Pakistan Super League and Indian Premier League cricket on Kayo Sports The extraordinary scenes unfolded during a clash between Quetta Gladiators and Rawalpindiz in Karachi on Friday night, when Mitchell repeatedly stepped away from the crease just as Tariq was about to release the ball.

The Pakistani spinner, whose bowling action has already divided the cricket world, momentarily halts mid run-up before releasing the ball, a move Mitchell clearly deemed too disruptive to face.

Watch the mid-over confrontation in the video above “Once again [Mitchell] shies away,” one commentator says.

“He’s not happy”.

“Can he withdraw from the action?” The other commentator in the box Rameez Raja asks.

“I think umpire is going to sort this out and I think he’s got to be ready, Daryl Mitchell has got to be just a wee bit better than that.” “He’s got to calm down a little, he wants to put [Tariq] off his pace but this is how he bowls actually.” The batter’s refusal forced umpires into an awkward mid-pitch intervention, while commentators, including Ramiz Raja, voiced visible frustration at the delays.

But rather than a spontaneous act, Mitchell’s protest appears to have been straight from the playbook of Indian spin great Ravi Ashwin who has publicly encouraged batters to counter Tariq’s unusual rhythm using the laws of the game.

Tariq’s action falls into the laws of the game’s grey area however isn’t officially illegal.

He has been cleared multiple times, including scrutiny around the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where his bowling first became a lightning rod for debate.

The issue centres on his dramatic mid-stride pause.

Under cricket’s laws, bowlers are allowed to vary their run-up, even slow down or briefly stop.

What they cannot do is “feign” a delivery once they’ve entered their final stride, meaning they can’t trick the batter into thinking the ball has been released when it hasn’t.

Tariq’s pause comes just before the final delivery movement, meaning umpires have consistently ruled it part of his natural action rather than an illegal deception.

That technicality has kept him in the clear but left many batters deeply unhappy.

Mitchell’s response of simply walking away however is also within the rules.

A batter can withdraw from facing a delivery if they are not ready, particularly if something disrupts their timing or concentration – in this case the unpredictable nature of Tariq’s pause.

That’s exactly the scenario Ashwin had predicted.