Finch, Clarke stunned over Haris Rauf’s T20 World Cup exclusion

Former Australian captains Aaron Finch and Michael Clarke have expressed surprise over the exclusion of Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf from the squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Rauf was one of the standout performers in the recently concluded Big Bash League (BBL) season 15 for the Melbourne Stars, finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 20 wickets in 11 matches, averaging 16.75.

However, the right-arm speedster failed to make Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad for the mega event, scheduled to be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

During a recent discussion on a local sports platform, Finch admitted he was taken aback when he saw Rauf’s name missing from the squad, stressing that T20 cricket often comes down to match-winning “impact” players.

“Yeah, I thought… I was really surprised when I saw that he wasn’t in the squad. I thought he brings that X-factor,” Finch said.

The former Australia opener further explained that even if a bowler can be expensive at times, having someone who can take wickets in every phase of the innings is a massive asset in the shortest format.

“Yes, he can be costly at times, but when you’ve got a genuine wicket-taker in all three phases of the game, that is the most important thing for me in T20 cricket, finding a way to get wickets, particularly on some flat surfaces as well. So, yeah, I was really surprised by that,” he added.

Meanwhile, Michael Clarke also admitted the decision was unexpected but suggested the omission likely reflects Pakistan’s selection approach, prioritising conditions and specific roles over performances in overseas domestic leagues.

“Surprised, but again, it’s another indication that playing in Australia is very different from playing in Sri Lanka and India,” Clarke said.

“You pick your squad for conditions, for the role you’re going to play in that team. So they obviously don’t see him playing a role like he did in the BBL.”

However, Clarke also pointed out that current form and momentum should still matter when finalising squads for ICC events.

“But I think form is important as well. When you’re picking a World Cup squad, you’d rather have players going into the tournament with some cricket and good form under their belt. So let’s see what happens,” he added.

Notably, Haris Rauf last played a T20I for Pakistan in the Asia Cup final against India on September 28, 2025, where he endured a tough outing, conceding 50 runs in 3.4 overs while defending a target of 146.

Since then, the pacer has remained out of the T20I setup, having been excluded from Pakistan’s squads for the away series against Sri Lanka, the upcoming home series against Australia, and now the T20 World Cup 2026 as well.