Haris Rauf’s frustration was evident when questions were raised about Pakistan’s fielding performance in the match against Afghanistan.
“Pakistan’s fielding was poor,” a journalist remarked while asking him a question after the match. The comment didn’t sit well with the fiery pacer, who advised the journalist to rewatch the game more carefully.
On Friday in Sharjah, Pakistan kicked off their tri-nation series campaign with a 39-run win over Afghanistan, where Rauf played a key role. He was the most successful bowler for Pakistan, taking four wickets for just 31 runs, including a maiden over.
The ongoing T20 series in the UAE is serving as a preparation opportunity for the upcoming Asia Cup, which begins next month in the same venue.
During the press conference, a journalist referred to the tri-nation matches as mere practice games, something the 31-year-old pacer didn’t appreciate. In his view, every international match carries equal importance.
“You’re calling this a practice match, but in my opinion, no international game is just a preparation. Every international match comes with pressure, and you can’t afford to take it lightly. Regardless of the playing XI or the team combination, the focus is always on executing the given plans,” he explained.
Rauf then responded to the journalist’s earlier comment about Pakistan’s fielding.
“I think you probably didn’t watch the match properly. We didn’t make any major mistakes in the field. Maybe if you watch the match again, you’ll see that it was actually a good performance.”
Pakistan will face the UAE in their second match of the tri-nation series on Saturday.
