A video of Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has gone viral on social media, drawing sharp reactions from fans after he was seen flying kites on a rooftop alongside teammate Hasan Ali. The clip surfaced shortly after Rauf was left out of Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Rauf, who did not make the 15-member squad announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was trolled online for appearing relaxed while enjoying the traditional pastime. Social media users were quick to mock the pacer, with one writing, “Looks like their true talent is in the sky, not on the pitch,” while another commented, “Now they are back to their original job.”
The trolling intensified, given Rauf’s recent history, having served a two-match ban imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last year for a controversial on-field gesture against India during the Asia Cup.
While selecting the squad for the T20 World Cup, the PCB selectors opted to leave out both Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan, despite the duo having played key roles for Pakistan in previous ICC tournaments. Babar Azam was the only member of the trio to retain his place, while Hasan Ali had already fallen out of favour earlier.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson later clarified that Rauf was in contention but missed out due to the balance of the bowling attack.
“We considered Haris Rauf, Wasim Jr and Ahmed Daniyal, but they couldn’t make it because the other three, Shaheen, Salman and Naseem, can bowl in all three phases of the game,” Hesson said.
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Pakistan began their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a tense three-wicket victory over the Netherlands in Colombo on Saturday. Chasing 148, the Salman Ali Agha-led side found themselves under pressure before a late fielding error from the Dutch side gave Faheem Ashraf a reprieve. Ashraf capitalised on the chance to steer Pakistan home with three balls to spare.
Pakistan’s 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 Khan, Usman Khan (Wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq.
