Haris Rauf: “I want to play Tests also for Pakistan. I am ready whenever the selectors or the board want me for Tests but my only point is to inform us in advance so that we can go and prepare for red-ball cricket where you have to bowl a lot of overs in a day”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has reaffirmed his desire to play Test cricket, maintaining that the longest format remains part of his ambitions.
The 32-year-old has expressed this commitment on several occasions, despite having featured in just one Test match so far, which came against England in December 2022
While reiterating his interest, Rauf emphasised that he wants to receive adequate notice before being considered for selection so he can properly prepare for the demands of red-ball cricket.
“I want to play Tests also for Pakistan. I am ready whenever the selectors or the board want me for Tests but my only point is to inform us in advance so that we can go and prepare for red-ball cricket where you have to bowl a lot of overs in a day,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Rauf did not feature in Pakistan’s recent T20I series against Sri Lanka in Dambulla and instead played for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL).
The Rawalpindi native finished as the highest wicket-taker in BBL 15 with 20 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 16.75 and an economy rate of 8.23.
Despite his outstanding performance, he wasn’t picked for Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Australia.
Rauf also didn’t make the cut for the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup, where the men in green beat the Netherlands and United States of America before falling to India.
Pakistan will be back in action on February 18 when they take on Namibia in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq