NEW DELHI: A video of Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has gone viral on social media showing him enjoying a relaxed moment flying kites. The clip, in which Rauf features alongside teammate Hasan Ali, comes amid his omission from Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad and quickly drew reactions from fans online.Rauf faced heavy trolling after the video surfaced as many questioned his absence from the team.
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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a 15-man squad that included stars like Babar Azam but left out Rauf and wicket-taker Mohammad Rizwan.Speaking about the selection, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson explained that Rauf was considered but not included due to the versatility of the pace attack chosen. “We considered Haris Rauf, Wasim Jr and Ahmed Daniyal but they couldn’t do it because the other three – Shaheen, Salman and Naseem – can play in all three phases of the game,” Hesson said.Pakistan began their campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 with a narrow three-wicket win over the Netherlands in Colombo. Chasing 148, the Salman Agha-led side almost suffered an upset when a slip in the field provided Faheem Ashraf with a lifeline to guide Pakistan to a three-ball victory.Next up, Pakistan take on the USA at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Tuesday, looking to build on their hard-fought start to the tournament.Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (Wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Us Khan, Usman Khan.
