Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq has been roped in by Warwickshire Bears for the Vitality T20 Blast, set to commence on May 22, the club announced on Tuesday.
In a statement, the club said that the 30-year-old spinner had offers to play franchise cricket in various leagues across the globe, but it won the competition to acquire his services.
As a result, Tariq will spend most of England’s summer season at the Edgbaston Stadium as his maiden Vitality Blast stint will be followed by The Hundred campaign with the Birmingham Phoenix, who signed him for £140,000 at the players’ draft in March.
Reacting to his allegiance with the Bears, Tariq termed it a great feeling before expressing his eagerness to bring energy to the squad, which he was impatiently looking forward to joining.
“I am very excited to bring more fun and energy to the Bears. I can’t wait to get involved with the squad, and it’s a great feeling to be part of this team. I hope to see as many people as possible at Edgbaston this summer,” Tariq was quoted as saying by the Bears.
Bears’ Performance Director James Thomas labelled Tariq “exactly the type of high-impact player” they were looking to bring in and thus expressed profound delight over securing his services for the upcoming tournament.
“Usman is exactly the type of high-impact player we want to bring into Warwickshire, so we’re delighted to get this deal completed,” Thomas said in a statement.
“His skill set and tactical awareness make him a genuine threat in modern white-ball cricket, but it’s his hunger to compete and continually improve that really stands out.
“What makes this signing particularly exciting is the alignment between Warwickshire and Birmingham Phoenix. Bringing Usman into the Bears for the Vitality Blast, before transitioning into The Hundred with the Phoenix, reflects the strength of our integrated model across club and franchise.
“It allows us to create continuity for the player, maximise performance impact across both competitions, and build stronger connections with our supporters in Birmingham and Warwickshire. Ultimately, this is about strengthening the team, the franchise, and our presence in the area, and we believe Usman can play a key role in that this summer.”
