Mohammad Asif: “No matter, if you bowl at 160 kph without swing, batters will take you apart”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif has told speedster Haris Rauf that if he were to bowl at 160 kph but not get any swing, he would find it tough to take wickets and get smashed for a lot of runs.
Instead, Asif wants the 31-year-old to work on changing his line and length as it is currently not challenging batsmen.
He noted that Rauf bowls too short, “which does not allow the ball to swing effectively”.
Rauf was recently in action in Pakistan’s limited overs tour of New Zealand and took eight wickets in four T20Is at an average of 12.25 and an economy rate of 7.53.
He then proceeded to claim three wickets in two ODIs at an average of 37.66.
“Haris’s problem is that he bowls short of length, which does not allow the ball to swing effectively. Haris should change his line and length. His current line and length does not challenge batters,” Asif was quoted as saying by A Sports.
“No matter, if you bowl at 160 kph without swing, batters will take you apart.”
After the New Zealand series, Rauf represented the Lahore Qalandars in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and helped them win the title as he was the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 13 games at an average of 25.70 and an economy rate of 10.28.
Rauf is now playing in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, but went wicketless in the 1st T20I, which the men in green won by 37 runs.
The 2nd T20I will take place on May 30 in Lahore.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper) and Saim Ayub
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