Haris Rauf has been declared fit for the ICC Champions Trophy. The fast bowler had suffered a low-grade side strain against New Zealand while bowling, and concerns over his participation in the 8-team tournament had emerged. Rauf was subsequently ruled out of the tri-series, and Akif Javed was named as his replacement.
Haris Rauf fit for Champions Trophy
It was speculated that Rauf would be ruled out. However, following a week’s rest, the medical team has cleared him. “Haris (Rauf) is okay now, and the rest given to him after the first match of the Tri-Series has helped him recover well,” a source told PTI.
PCB breathes a sigh of relief
Without Rauf, Pakistan struggled in the tri-series final against New Zealand, eventually losing by 5 wickets. The Men in Green haven’t found their groove yet. Saim Ayub’s injury has forced the management to move Babar Azam up the order. Their lower middle order isn’t firing that well.
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They have just one spinner, Abrar Ahmed, and then a couple of part-timers. The pace department is the only thing properly firing for them. When Rauf got injured, many feared that they would enter the tournament without one area of strength. The good news is that Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah will have the support.
Rauf can do a great job in the middle overs. His pace makes an X-factor. Hitting him is tough due to his skiddy bowling nature. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be happy that they don’t have to bring someone new into the mix, directly in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Pakistan’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy
Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi
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