Azhar Mahmood on Haris Rauf: “He is a leader and a team needs a player like him”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Former bowling coach Azhar Mahmood said Pakistan need leaders like Haris Rauf in the team as he is not afraid of rising up to every challenge.

Rauf, one of Pakistan’s go-to fast bowlers in limited overs cricket, has been the spearhead of the pace attack in Shaheen Shah Afridi’s absence.

Having excelled in that role, Mahmood acknowledged that the men in green should continue investing in the 28-year-old as he has delivered time and time again.

“He is a leader and a team needs a player like him,” he told Cricket Pakistan.

Rauf recently featured in the T20 tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh, and snapped up six wickets in three games at an average of 14.66 and an economy rate of 7.33.

He is now playing in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

Pakistan began their campaign against India in Melbourne on Sunday and lost by four wickets off the final ball.

In that game, Rauf finished with figures of 2-36 off his four overs.

Their next match will be against Zimbabwe on Thursday in Perth.

Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood

Reserves: Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir

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