The art of pace bowling is a captivating facet of cricket, adding a unique dimension to the sport. In international cricket, anything bowled above 140 kilometers per hour is regarded as commendable, and bowlers capable of consistently achieving such speeds with precision are indeed a treasure. One such pacer is Pakistan's Haris Rauf, a remarkable fast-bowler who effortlessly clocks around 150 kilometers per hour mark with consistency.
Surprisingly, Haris Rauf's all-time favorite fast bowler is not from Pakistan, a nation that has produced pace bowling legends like Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram. Instead, Rauf draws inspiration from a former Royal Challengers Bangalore and South African cricketing stalwart - Dale Steyn.
"Mai hamesha follow Dale Steyn ko karta hoon, jab se main usko dekh raha hoon. Uska jo aggression hai vo mujhe kaafi pasand hai. Jis tarah woh wicket le ke aggression show karta hai, kosish karta hoon ki main bhi ground mein us tarah he aggression karu, but mera thoda sa jyada he ho jaata hai. But Dale Steyn mera all the time favourite hai. (I always follow Dale Steyn since the time I am watching him play. I try to replicate his aggression after taking a wicket, but I think I overdo it a bit. But Dale Steyn is my favourite bowler of all time)," said Rauf in a video uploaded by ICC.
Babar Azam-led Pakistan will kickstart their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign with a match against Netherlands on October 6. Prior to that, they have to play two warm-up games against New Zealand on September 29 and Australia on October 3. Rauf found a place for himself in the team. Naseem Shah, who was important for Pakistan's ODI World Cup plans, has been ruled out of the tournament due to an injury he sustained during Asia Cup 2023.
Pakistan Squad for ODI World Cup 2023 in India: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.
Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan