Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf is likely to miss a spot in Pakistan’s 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, insiders privy to the selection talks said on Monday.
The word in the camp is that head coach Mike Hesson has never been on board with Rauf’s inclusion in the T20 setup since the Asia Cup final. Drafts of the World Cup lineup are being debated upon by the team management along with the selectors, and an announcement regarding that is expected in the next couple of weeks.
Rauf, one of Pakistan’s premier white-ball fast bowlers in the recent past, has not represented the country in T20Is since the conclusion of the Asia Cup. His absence has created conjecture over his future with the World Cup fast approaching.
Sources further cite worries over form, workload management, and overall team balance as the reasons for this trepidation from the coaching staff. The PCB has not said anything on this yet, but it is being said that the selectors want to try out some other fast-bowling options that have been featuring in recent T20 series and training camps.
Rauf has recently been in Australia, playing in the Big Bash League. His performances there have sparked interest, but don’t seem to have changed the national team’s world cup selection stance in any serious way.
Rauf rose to prominence through the PSL and soon became an integral part of Pakistan’s T20 and ODI sides, armed with express pace and death-over missiles. He has played a significant role in some big wins for Pakistan, including spells that are still remembered from past ICC events.
