Abdur Rauf: “What I said about Ihsanullah’s bowling mechanism two years ago after checking it has been proven true word for word today, two years later”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan seamer Abdur Rauf said he predicted two years ago that fast bowler Ihsanullah would “never get his peak back” after he sustained elbow and shoulder injuries.
“What I have observed and watched so far is so dangerous for Ihsanullah’s career. I pray to Allah that my concerns prove completely wrong but my knowledge says he can never get his peak back. Another natural talented youngster succumbed to the experiment of incompetent illiterate coaches,” he had said in 2023.
Ihsanullah rose to fame during the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL), as finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets in 12 matches for the Multan Sultans at an average of 15.77.
It was during PSL 8 that people not only saw Ihsanullah’s wicket-taking capabilities, but his raw speed as well as he was capable of surpassing 150 kph.
The 22-year-old was quickly catapulted into the Pakistan team and ended up playing four T20Is, where he picked up six wickets at an average of 18.
The Matta native also made his ODI debut in April 2023 but went wicketless.
Shortly after this, Ihsanullah suffered his injuries and didn’t make a comeback until the Champions T20 Cup in December 2024, where he snapped up two wickets in four matches for the Dolphins at an average of 62.50.
Given how bad Ihsanullah’s injury was and how long it took him to recover, Rauf admitted it is unlikely he will ever get back to his best.
“What I said about Ihsanullah’s bowling mechanism two years ago after checking it has been proven true word for word today, two years later,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ihsanullah was not picked for Pakistan’s tours of Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and for their two-Test series against the West Indies in Multan.
He was also not considered for selection for the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, and the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be held from February 19 to March 9.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah