Carlos Brathwaite debunks fake social media post on Usman Tariq

Bridgetown: Former West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite on Friday dismissed a viral social media post that falsely attributed controversial remarks to him regarding Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq.

A fake account on X, allegedly linked to Indian-origin users, claimed that Brathwaite — while commentating during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match between England and West Indies — suggested that India should bat first in their upcoming fixture against Pakistan on February 15 and respond in kind if Tariq “chucks.”

The fabricated quote, shared by an account using the handle “RCB_HIvv3,” quickly gained traction online.

“India should bat first on the 15th and see what Usman Tariq does. If he chucks, don’t step back. Tell your guns to chuck too. Give what you get. As simple as that,” the post falsely quoted Brathwaite as saying.

The account had previously shared posts critical of Pakistan, drawing further scrutiny.

Brathwaite responded publicly, rejecting the statement and questioning its authenticity.

“I’ll be reporting this. Where are the quotes? When did I say this?” he wrote.

In a separate post, he warned the user against deleting the content, describing it as “disingenuous, false and nasty.” The original post has since been removed.

Meanwhile, Tariq has also received backing from former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin amid renewed debate over the legality of his bowling action.

Former Indian cricketer Shreevats Goswami questioned the pause Tariq takes during his run-up, comparing it to football regulations that no longer allow players to pause during a penalty run-up.

Ashwin, however, came to Tariq’s defence. The former Indian spinner questioned why restrictions are often imposed on bowlers while batters are allowed greater flexibility.

@RCB_HIvv3 @elonmusk your platform need to start demonetizing people that post fake quotes and attribute them to public figures.

They can post what they want , get called out and take down the post. 296k people have seen this and formed an opinion of a baseless claim . pic.twitter.com/UpF8XClnoq

— Carlos Brathwaite (@CRBrathwaite26) February 12, 2026