Haris Rauf has been severely punished by the PCB after India’s humiliation in the 2025 Asia Cup

Harith Raoufthe Pakistani right-arm fast bowler, is likely to be left out of Pakistan’s national T20I squad for the upcoming tournament. series Against South Africa.

Pakistan had a heartbreaking end to their 2025 Asia Cup campaign, losing all the important matches to India in the continental tournament. One of the primary reasons for Pakistan’s failure to defend the set goal in the Asia Cup final was Haris Rauf.

The fast bowler was hit for 50 runs in just 22 balls of his spell, with the likes of Shivam Dube and Tilak Varma attacking the right-arm pacer when India needed a quick run down the order.

Haris Rauf is likely to be left out of South Africa’s T20s squad

Other than being bowled out for a large number of runs, Haris Rauf was also part of the controversy between the Indian and Pakistani players. His controversial gesture sparked fires, as the matter was escalated to the International Criminal Court. The player was also fined a portion of the match fee after the ICC found him guilty of the offence.

Haris Rauf had a good campaign in the Asia Cup, especially in terms of wickets, as he took 9 wickets in just 5 matches. However, he had the worst economy among Pakistani bowlers, as he was often known only for his brute pace.

With the T20 World Cup coming up, it would not be surprising if Pakistan consider dropping him to buy him more time to prepare for the crucial ICC event. Hence, Haris Rauf is likely to be dropped from the Pakistan T20 side. Some reports also claimed that the likes of Mohammed Waseem Jr. O.J Abbas Al-Faridi He might be included in the Pakistani team.

🚨 Haris Rauf likely to be ruled out of T20 series against South Africa (Geo News) pIC.RThIRRep.CSM/forp7ShRIforQVg

– Jeniz (@DHILLOW_) HeyCRSforep 8, 2025

Pakistan is considering another opportunity for Saim Ayub

Another name in the Pakistan team that has been controversial since the Asia Cup is opening batsman Saim Ayub. The young Pakistani cricketer has slowly developed into a white-ball cricketer across formats.

The batsman has scored several runs for Pakistan recently. However, his form in the shortest format of the game has been a major concern. He scored 4 ducks in the continental championship out of 7 matches in which he participated.

Although the selectors mentioned giving a chance to young cricketers like Saim Ayub as well as Mohamed Haris, who also lacked form in the recently concluded Asia Cup.

The return of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan is yet to be initiated by the PCB

While wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan has been retained in his position as captain of the one-day internationals, Salman Agha will continue as captain of the T20I team in the upcoming series against South Africa.

Two of the greatest batsmen in Pakistani cricket, Babar Azam And Mohamed Radwan were excluded from the Asian Cup squad. However, there are potential chances of them returning to the team.

Meanwhile, no consensus has been reached yet on the return of Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan to the T20I team, indicating ongoing discussions within the Pakistan Cricket Board.

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