Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has spoken out amid speculation about his potential exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad, saying that while being left out would be disappointing, it would not mark the end of his career.
“If I am not included in the T20 World Cup, it would be disappointing, but it will not be the end of my career,” Rauf said in an interview.
Rauf added that he is focused on improving his performance and working further on his bowling. “I will give my best performance and continue to work on my bowling,” he noted.
He also extended his best wishes to the national team for the tournament. “I have good wishes for the national team in the T20 World Cup,” he said, highlighting his continued support for his teammates.
Reflecting on his experiences, Rauf emphasised the challenges of cricket and maintaining consistency. “Whenever I played for Pakistan, I always gave 100%,” he said.
“Bowling in the death overs is not easy,” he added, while also noting that criticism and mistreatment of players are different matters. “There is a difference between criticism of a player and ill-treatment of a player,” Rauf explained.
The pacer also highlighted his form following the Asia Cup. “I have been performing consistently since the Asia Cup,” he said.
Last week, it emerged that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) submitted a preliminary list of players to the ICC for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
However, it is understood that the PCB can make changes to the submitted list without ICC approval until January 31.
Sources say the probable players include captain Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan and Abrar Ahmed.
Other players under consideration are Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay, while Abdul Samad, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Usman Tariq are likely to be named among the reserve players.
Pakistan have been drawn in Group A alongside India, the USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia and will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka.
The national side will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo.
They will face the USA on February 10, followed by clashes against arch-rivals India on February 15 and Namibia on February 18 in their final group-stage match.
The Men in Green will be playing all of their matches in Sri Lanka, starting with four Group A fixtures in Colombo, while Super Eight matches are scheduled to be held in Colombo and Kandy.
