The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈

Today isn’t just 15th February, today is also the day that sees the two arch-rivals, Pakistan and India, go head-to-head in Group A. With both teams winning their first two games, this is a case of winner takes all.

In this case, it would be the top spot outright. Going into this game, a wise man would put India down as the favourites, but in sporting Derbies, the usual rules apply, and that is that form goes out of the window.

The defending champions, India, have a much superior head-to-head record in this fixture than Pakistan. But, it depends on the day though right? The Pakistan fan in me, cheers whenever they plsy the game where they won by 10 wickets.

Victories like those are collectors items. Coming into Sunday’s game, the build-up has been in part dominated by Usman Tariq, Pakistan’s new ‘mystery spinner’. Tariq, who has played in several Franchise Tournaments across the world, has been gaining headlines due his bowling action.

Some observers say the issue is his not straight bowling arm, others say, it’s the fact that when he bowls and gets ready to get into his bowling stride, he slightly pauses before releasing the ball.

For football fans, think Joe Aldridge’s penalty technique and Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty techinique on occasions too. Or to keep it cricket based, Mohammed Hafeez used to do something similar, the cricket world didn’t flinch.

But with Usman Tariq, there is a massive hoo-ha. God only knows why. Maybe India were trying to use tactics to get the 30-year-old Tariq off his game? If so, the defending champions India wouldn’t been the first country to have tried such a thing.

That’s all great to look to nullify Usman Tariq. The thing is Pakistan do have quality in the spin-bowling department. They can call-upon Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Mohammed Nawaz.

India have some quality spinners of their own, but to allow the Usman Tariq issue to take up column space in the build-up is surely a no, No?