Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf has been officially ruled out of the Test series against England after he sustained a strain in his right quad. Initially ruled out of the Multan Test, Rauf will now miss the final Test match against England at the National Stadium in Karachi. The Pakistan side lost a crunch battle in the final session of the Rawalpindi Test on Day 5 as England won by 74 runs. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to announce a replacement for the injured bowler.
The scans and the subsequent assessment by the PCB medical staff concluded that the fast bowler suffered a grade-II strain. Haris will travel to Lahore where he will begin his rehabilitation at the National High-Performance Centre. The fast bowler underwent an MRI during the first day’s play of the Rawalpindi Test after he rolled over the ball while fielding.
How did Rauf sustain injury?
The 29-year-old, who made his debut in the first Test, stepped on the ball while fielding on the first day in Rawalpindi, leading to a grade-II strain in his right quad. Rauf was sent for MRI scans and did not bowl again for the rest of the game. He endured a forgettable debut, conceding 78 runs in 13 overs, and was the most expensive fast bowler on the first day when England scored 506 runs. He batted in both of Pakistan's innings and made scores of 12 and 0.
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The fast bowler’s absence was a big blow for Pakistan who had to deal without the pacer’s services for the rest of the four days. In bizarre circumstances, Rauf despite being ruled out of the Multan Test had to come out to bat on the final day of the Rawalpindi Test to save the Test match.
Pakistan will now travel to Multan for the second Test where they will try to level the series at 1-1 having lost the Rawalpindi Test. The win for England the in first Test match came in an interesting manner where they had to play orthodox cricket where at one point all the 11 players were seen in one frame.
