Haris Rauf is making a direct push for Test selection ahead of Pakistan’s home series against Sri Lanka in November. The 32-year-old fast bowler has returned to domestic cricket with a strong performance in the President’s Trophy, taking 5 for 34 in 13 overs while playing for Pakistan Television. His display helped PTV force their opponents to follow on, though the match ended in a draw.
Rauf’s bid for Test recall comes after a lengthy absence from the format. His only Test appearance came on December 1, 2022, against England at Rawalpindi, where he bowled 13 overs and conceded 78 runs while taking the wicket of Zak Crawley. During that match, England scored 506 runs for 4 wickets on the opening day, a record for most runs on a Test’s first day. Rauf suffered a quad muscle tear while fielding during that game and has not played Test cricket since.
Rauf expressed his ambition to return to the longest format and acknowledged Pakistan’s pressing need for pace bowling.
“There’s always a purpose that is driving you when you play cricket. I am trying to put my name forward for the Sri Lanka series, and Pakistan is also in need of a fast bowler. Let’s see what happens in the future as there are quite a few games to go in the President’s Trophy,” Rauf said as quoted by Cricinfo.
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Pakistan’s pace attack under scrutiny
Pakistan’s fast bowling attack has faced scrutiny during recent Test tours. The team toured Bangladesh, West Indies, and England in 2026, and in all three series the average pace of the fast bowlers fell below that of the host nations’ attacks. Selectors have shown willingness to explore new options, having included uncapped bowler Razaullah as one of seven replacements for the final Test against England at Edgbaston. Razaullah stood out from an attack that bowled in the 120 to 130 kilometres per hour range.
Rauf has limited first-class experience despite his international reputation in shorter formats. Since his debut in October 2019, he has played only 14 first-class matches, taking 47 wickets at an average of 27.04. His last first-class appearance came in October 2025 during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy before his recent outing in the President’s Trophy. In international cricket, Rauf has played 59 ODIs and 94 T20Is, claiming 107 and 133 wickets respectively across those formats.
Domestic cricket is the best preparation: Rauf
Rauf has spent recent months preparing for a return to four-day cricket and emphasised the value of domestic competition as a platform to sharpen his skills.
“I played four-day cricket in the last season and spent time in Grade-II cricket before the ODI series against Australia as well. You look to improve yourself by playing the longer format whenever you get time. I had time to work on myself right now with the series against Sri Lanka and England coming up so I am looking to avail it. This is the best preparation,” said Rauf.
Pakistan’s need for pace bowling at Test level remains a priority heading into the Sri Lanka series. Rauf’s recent domestic performance and his expressed commitment to the format positioned him as a candidate to fill that gap. The President’s Trophy provided the platform for him to make his case before selectors made their final squad decisions for the November fixtures.
