Abdur Rauf Khan strongly criticises Haris Rauf’s performance

LAHORE: Former Pakistan pacer Abdur Rauf Khan has launched a scathing attack on fast bowler Haris Rauf, questioning his consistency and contributions in major international tournaments.

In a statement posted on X, Rauf Khan said that Haris is “not a match-winning player” and accused him of underestimating cricket fans.

“Haris Rauf thinks the public and fans are foolish. He says he cannot perform in every match — but in which ICC event has he ever performed?” Rauf Khan asked.

The former pacer backed his criticism with statistics and specific examples, blaming Haris for Pakistan’s defeats in major events.

“You gave away 20 runs on a ground like Melbourne in the 2022 World Cup and cost Pakistan the match. In the 2023 Asia Cup, you couldn’t even complete your bowling quota. Then, in the 2023 World Cup in India, Pakistan suffered humiliation again because of you,” he wrote.

He went on to accuse Haris of poor performances in subsequent tournaments.

“You got Pakistan embarrassed by a new team like the USA in 2024 after crashing out in the first round. In the 2025 Champions Trophy, we were knocked out in just four days — again, extremely third-class bowling. Then in the 2025 Asia Cup final, you conceded 50 runs in 3.4 overs against India,” he added.

Abdur Rauf further challenged Haris to name one ICC event where he had won a match for Pakistan. “You’ve played only two first-class matches and bowled very poorly. You people don’t even have the stamina to play five first-class matches,” he said.

Citing Australian pacer Mitchell Starc as an example of professionalism, Rauf Khan advised Haris to learn from him.

“Starc plays Sheffield Shield cricket in Australia — go and see what real professionalism looks like, how cricket is played without lobbies. Starc led Australia to the World Test Championship final, won the 50-over and T20 World Cups, made his team number one, and still plays domestic cricket with full commitment,” he concluded.

Notably, on Tuesday, Haris Rauf helped Pakistan secure a six-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening ODI in Rawalpindi, taking four key wickets.

At the post-match press conference, Haris also responded to criticism about his past performances.

“There’s no forgiveness for us — people expect us to perform like robots, but we are human beings and can have bad days. We always give our best; sometimes results are good, sometimes they aren’t. People forget ten good matches and only remember one bad one,” he said,

حارث روف جیسے لوگ سمجھتے ہیں کہ یہ عوام پر لے درجے کی بیوقوف اور عقل سے فارغ ہے۔ کہتا ہے ہر میچ میں پرفارم نہیں کر سکتے۔
بھائ تم نے کون سے آئی سی سی ایونٹ میں پرفارم کیا ہے۔
2022 کے ورلڈ کپ میں میلبورن جیسے گراونڈ میں 20 رنز دیکر شکست دلوائی،
2023 کے ایشیا کپ میں تم سے کوٹہ…

— Abdur Rouf Khan (@AbdurRoufKhan6) November 12, 2025