[REPORT] Haris Rauf likely to be excluded from T20 World Cup 2026 squad

[Ball Blazer]

Star Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf is reportedly set to miss out on Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

Sources reveal that white-ball head coach Mike Hesson is not inclined to include the right-arm fast bowler in the final lineup. Rauf last represented Pakistan in T20Is on September 28, 2025, during the Asia Cup final against India, which Pakistan lost.

Despite his recent absence from international cricket, Rauf remains one of Pakistan’s most effective bowlers in the shortest format. He is currently the national team’s leading T20I wicket-taker, having claimed 133 wickets in 94 matches at an economy rate of 8.38, including five four-wicket hauls, ranking him ninth overall in T20I history.

Rauf is presently featuring for Melbourne Stars in BBL 15, where he has been in outstanding form. He leads the tournament’s wicket charts with 18 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 7.96.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has submitted a preliminary squad list to the ICC, with the option to make changes until January 31 without requiring approval. The national T20I squad is returning home after their recent series in Sri Lanka.

Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha are expected to have final discussions with the selectors before confirming the squad. Probable picks include Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan, and Abrar Ahmed.

Other players under consideration are Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Salman Mirza, and Khawaja Nafay, while Abdul Samad, Mohammad Wasim Jr, and Usman Tariq are likely to feature among the reserves.

The 2009 champions will kick off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo, followed by matches against the USA on February 10, India on February 15, and Namibia on February 18 to complete the group stage. Pakistan will play all Group A matches in Colombo, with the Super Eight fixtures scheduled across Colombo and Kandy.

 

[Kianig89]

Hopefully Hessons decision will be respected.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Hope he plays

 

[Rana]

Why just Rauf?

Why not Babar??

 

[Usman Chadda]

Why just Rauf?

Why not Babar??

At this point, they are playing Babar out of pity only.

 

[Devadwal]

He was the Only performer from Pakistan in BBL. He should be selected

 

[Devadwal]

Btw @Rana @The Bald Eagle @Ball Blazer Why has Pakistan not announced the team yet? Are they really scared?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Btw @Rana @The Bald Eagle @Ball Blazer Why has Pakistan not announced the team yet? Are they really scared?

Don't worry about our team being announced.

Your hosting schedule hasn't been confirmed

 

[Usman Chadda]

Btw @Rana @The Bald Eagle @Ball Blazer Why has Pakistan not announced the team yet? Are they really scared?

Schedule confirmed?

What are you doing about Bangladesh?

 

[sweep_shot]

In SL, Rauf may not be effective. So, good decision I guess.

Rauf is more suited for Australian and South African conditions.

 

[Devadwal]

Don't worry about our team being announced.

Your hosting schedule hasn't been confirmed

Schedule confirmed?

What are you doing about Bangladesh?

It was confirmed a month ago. Didn't you see it? Okay, here's the link.

Matches | ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026 | ICC

Official ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2026 website – live cricket scores, fixtures, results, teams, rankings, news, videos and exclusive updates from the International Cricket Council.

www.icc-cricket.com

 

[topspin]

If true, not a bad decision. The SC wickets don’t suit Rauf.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Hard call but lately he has costed too many important matches for Pakistan at the death.

I just hope Pakistan have a solid plan now for death bowling. I was hoping they'd try Ahmed Daniyal but they never did.

Now it's upto Naseem, Wasim Jr or Mirza to play the death bowler role alongside Shaheen.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

He was the Only performer from Pakistan in BBL. He should be selected

He is a beast in Aus that is well known , elsewhere is just a bowling machine. His reluctance to play 5 day cricket will definitely make this coming soon and sooner than I expected. He was the prime reason Pak lost to USA in the last WT20 , even his long time friend Shaheen was so furious at him bowling such a delivery in the last ball of the match with mid on up such a basic mistake to do at an intl level.


Good riddance keeping in mind the USA match

 

[Devadwal]

He is a beast in Aus that is well known , elsewhere is just a bowling machine. His reluctance to play 5 day cricket will definitely make this coming soon and sooner than I expected. He was the prime reason Pak lost to USA in the last WT20 , even his long time friend Shaheen was so furious at him bowling such a delivery in the last ball of the match with mid on up such a basic mistake to do at an intl level.


Good riddance keeping in mind the USA match

But he is the only bowler who can win the trophy for Pakistan. In his form, he can rip any batting order. This is a two-way street.

I personally don't like him as an person but he has Jazba, dileri, badmaashi along with extreme pace.

Toda risk to Lena padega Pakistan ko

 

[ask_analyse_act]

In SL, Rauf may not be effective. So, good decision I guess.

Rauf is more suited for Australian and South African conditions.

Bowling medium pace like Maharoof, Mathews, Thisara, Stoinis, Mitch marsh, Sam Curran , Dube etc would be very handy in SRL I believe with keeper standing up.

Irfan khan is a good choice and with his gun fielding would be very handy.

 

[sweep_shot]

Bowling medium pace like Maharoof, Mathews, Thisara, Stoinis, Mitch marsh, Sam Curran , Dube etc would be very handy in SRL I believe with keeper standing up.

Irfan khan is a good choice and with his gun fielding would be very handy.

Yes. Slow bowlers are likely to thrive.

 

[Hellion]

We gonna miss you in Raufy bhai. Yaar, the pace, the jazba, the wild Neanderthal expressions. Us Indians are big fans of your bowling

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Why just Rauf?

Why not Babar??

Yes but he will be selected somehow. BBL should be good enough to show what he can do. Initially Hesson was looking for Babar to shine in BBL then due to Asia cup final he was called back and since then he is been playing the same and seems no matter what he will play the same way of tuk tuk.

40 ball 50s and 48 ball 60s. Pak should move on from Babar in 20-20s.

Take Nafay, H. Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Irfan Khan instead. No idea why Abdul Samad is there without any game or performances and his domestic records are abysmal to say the least.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

No Haris Raufale?

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Hard call but lately he has costed too many important matches for Pakistan at the death.

I just hope Pakistan have a solid plan now for death bowling. I was hoping they'd try Ahmed Daniyal but they never did.

Now it's upto Naseem, Wasim Jr or Mirza to play the death bowler role alongside Shaheen.

Even Shaheen with his injury wouldn’t be part of the 20-20 WC I believe. In that case Zaman khan or Abbas afridi would be a good choice.

 

[Devadwal]

We gonna miss you in Raufy bhai. Yaar, the pace, the jazba, the wild Neanderthal expressions. Us Indians are big fans of your bowling

Don't worry bro , he will be selected after BBL perfomance. Don't trust these sources.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

No Haris Raufale?

Abishek Sharma, kishan and Samson would cry that they can’t feast on Raufs bowling.

 

[Devadwal]

Abishek Sharma, kishan and Samson would cry that they can’t feast on Raufs bowling.

Bro Abhishek smashed Pakistan premier bowler Shaheen and Abrar. Are they also not part of World T20 team ?

 

[rpant_gabba]

Justice for Rauf! He belongs in the team!

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Justice for Rauf! He belongs in the team!

Hahaha...yeah you can talk about justice for him when you switch the flag in your DP with green one. Otherwise, it's just injustice with opposition batters to miss Haris juicy beamers

 

[Ball Blazer]

Btw @Rana @The Bald Eagle @Ball Blazer Why has Pakistan not announced the team yet? Are they really scared?

So that you don't get time to build a good strategy against us

 

[Devadwal]

Seem like Pakistan is going to pick checker Usman Tariq

So that you don't get time to build a good strategy against us

 

[Devadwal]

Seem like Pakistan is going to pick checker Usman Tariq

chucker

 

[Justcrazy]

He is not worthy , leaks too many runs when small pressure is applied. Just starts bowling brainless stuff.

 

[hur rizvi]

Hope this is right.

Naseem, Shaheen, Mirza, Faheem should be main pacers

Abrar, Usman can be the spinners

My XI:
Farhan
Saim
Salman
Fakhar
Nafay (wk)
Shadab
Nawaz
Faheem
Abrar/usman Tariq
Shaheen
Naseem/Mirza

If bowling needs strengthening maybe play mirza ahead of Faheem

 

[rpant_gabba]

He is not worthy , leaks too many runs when small pressure is applied. Just starts bowling brainless stuff.

not True.

Pak team is noting w/o Babar, Rizwan and Rauf.

the winning troika.

 

[hur rizvi]

not True.

Pak team is noting w/o Babar, Rizwan and Rauf.

the winning troika.

Thanks for the information

Indian posters are so insightful about Pakistan xi.

 

[rpant_gabba]

Thanks for the information

Indian posters are so insightful about Pakistan xi.

Pak fans and nation are too pessimistic. Trust the true tested folks.

 

[Ball Blazer]

Seem like Pakistan is going to pick checker Usman Tariq

What if he ends up destroying you?

 

[Devadwal]

What if he ends up destroying you?

Possible but we are likely smashed him all around the park

 

[TeymurBlake]

In Asian conditions, Haris Rauf is inconsistent. His line & length goes out the window.

Him not being picked makes sense. With that being said, Babar, Shaheen & Naseem should not be considered for selection at all. I am unsure on Shadab, he shouldn't be picked ahead of Sufiyaam Muqeem who has just disappeared from the face of the earth.

However, I am unsure on Fakhar Zaman, he's been incredibly inconsistent player throughout his T20 career.

Usman Tariq & Wasim Jnr should be picked in the squad.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I think Indian fans will probably be most sad of all if this happens

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Not sure about this but I think Hesson gave Rauf specific instructions about how to bowl in his final over during that Asia Cup final and Rauf didn't follow any of them, and as we all know just bowled garbage pace-on only to get smashed and lose us that match in one over

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Even a mechanically operated bowling machine has a higher bowling IQ than Haris Rauf

 

[rballer]

Honestly, I don’t think Rauf has recovered from Kohli smacking. He has been mentally damaged ever since.

 

[Hawkeye]

To save Pak team he has to be dropped.

Opposition loves his bowling and smack him around the park.

 

[Hellion]

What if he ends up destroying you?

Correct, brother. Haris Rauf is only one of 3 guys who can clock 148 + in Pakistan currently as we saw in PSL. The others are unproven Fawad Ali and injury prone Akif.

Pace is pace, yaar. He is the only capable of blasting India out.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Good decision if it happens... Haris is never suited for those pitches. If WC was in South africa or australia, I would have definitley picked him over any other guy...

 

[msb314]

Could not have asked for better news to end the Tuesday.

Good Riddance to rubbish….

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Horses for courses approach should be the aim. Spinners reap the most rewards in SL.
Mirza, Shaheen (if fit), Wasim, Naseem/Fahim should be the pacers in the squad.
I don't see Babar making the squad in his current form. Better to pick someone like Sameer Minhas from u19.

 

[harshjoshi87]

Rauf should be included, he is a run machine for us in ICC Tournaments.

 

[Devadwal]

Could not have asked for better news to end the Tuesday.

Good Riddance to rubbish….

Noo no plzz we want our real dhurandhar back in the Pakistan team

 

[shehz]

we have 3 passengers : Shadab, Usman Khan, faheem Ashraf

Sad to see Hasan Nawaz and Sufiyan Muqeem not given longer run and featured in WC. They are more talented than the above players.

I can see Rauf doing well against weaker teams only but not against India. Happy to see Salman Mirza though!

 

[BouncerGuy]

He is a real match-winner but only for the opposition... A real choker.

Pakistan will not miss this guy...

Good riddance IF IF IF he misses out

 

[Justcrazy]

not True.

Pak team is noting w/o Babar, Rizwan and Rauf.

the winning troika.

Harris is a messed up bowler , in big tournaments you cannot have mentally weak bowlers .

Babar if played has to bat in top. Saim , Farhan , Ayub already there , so he should not be picked. Rizwan should be playing only Test.

 

[Raja Ishtiaq]

Why just Rauf?

Why not Babar??

And who plays as the anchor? You? Lol

 

[rpant_gabba]

I'm heartbroken by the hate towards the 3 great servants of Pak cricket. they should be respected and honored. They should have the priority is always.

 

[Babeikh]

Haris, as we know, has a tendency to completely buckle and capitulate in pressure situations. If he is bowling a crucial / deciding over you know he is going to go for 2 sixes and probably bowl a no ball in there too and almost certainly cost us the game. It is a shame he loses his head because in theory he is a very good bowler but you can't afford to have someone in a world cup who is almost guaranteed to screw up in the crucial edgy moments.

 

[Fast bowler6929]

Seriously that hack Usman khan again with average of 17 and strike rate of 110.

He was one of the main reason Pakistan did badly in 2024 world cup.
Zimbo should be nowhere near any Pakistan squad.
Haris has always been a wicket taker but he loses important matches with his brainless bowling but I don't think naseem and shaheen are any better than him.

 

[gazza619]

Yes leave out the only half decent pacer we have and pick garbage like Naseem Shah & Wasim Jnr.

Rauf has had bad days but he is still miles ahead of other pace options.

We are forgetting that he is also a gun fielder and more reliable with the bat then the so called allrounder Shaheen Afridi.

 

[Sachin fan]

I think Indian fans will probably be most sad of all if this happens

Yep, already sad Rauf and Rizwan are not there. At least Babar and the 35 averaging Naseem are there, so still something to cheer about.

 

[RidiculousMan]

One of Ahmed Daniyal or Zaman Khan has to be backed instead.

 

[Concerned]

Rauf, Babar and Usman being the weakness in the team.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yep, already sad Rauf and Rizwan are not there. At least Babar and the 35 averaging Naseem are there, so still something to cheer about.

I know you hate Naseem but he has generally bowled well against India in T20 whenever he has played them. He's a terrible T20 bowler but against India it's unlikely he will blow it in the same way as Rauf has in the past.

But don't worry I;m sure Babar will play his part with a trademark 29 off 33

 

[SherWaqar]

Source: trust me bro

 

[ahmadharis1]

Good call, bring in Abbas Afridi

 

[Cricket Warrior]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2014042659237540096

 

[guard]

When your vindictive neighbour starts getting (TIA) then something is going right