Haris Rauf undergoes MRI scans to assess a sprain in his ribs ahead of 2023 ODI World Cup encounter against England - Reports
Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf was taken to a local hospital in Kolkata to assess a potential sprain to his ribs following his team's win over New Zealand on Saturday. The right-arm pacer had left the field after a horrid spell at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where he went for 85 runs off his 10 overs with a wicket to his name.
According to a report by Geo News, the scan has been labeled as a 'routine' procedure, and the injury is not considered to be serious by any means.
Haris Rauf has had a forgettable tournament so far despite taking 13 wickets. He has lacked potency and has struggled to adapt to the conditions, with his 2023 World Cup economy rate reading 6.79 after eight matches.
Pakistan's pace unit has suffered due to Naseem Shah's unfortunate injury. The Men in Green were also without Hasan Ali due to illness recently, leading to Mohammad Wasim Jnr being included in the playing XI.
Pakistan have bounced back from four successive defeats by securing wins over Bangladesh and New Zealand. However, their hopes for a top-four finish are still shaky as they have to secure a win over England and hope that Sri Lanka defeat New Zealand. They also have an inferior net run rate and the threats posed by Afghanistan to keep in mind heading into the business end of the tournament.
Furthermore, Shadab Khan's participation against England is yet to be decided. The leg-spinner sustained a concussion during Pakistan's narrow loss against South Africa in Chennai, leading to Usama Mir coming on as a substitute.
Shadab has not featured across Pakistan's last two matches. He was struggling for form over the course of the campaign, and was dropped in the team's loss against Australia, with skipper Babar Azam terming that they are trying out a "new combination".
Haris Rauf has conceded the most number of sixes by a bowler in a single World Cup campaign
Haris Rauf has been taken apart by batters in the tournament, often exploiting the extra pace that he offers.
Erratic bowling areas coupled with shortish boundary lengths have resulted in the speedster being at the wrong end of 16 sixes so far, the highest by a single bowler in the history of the competition.
The right-arm pacer had a prolific spell (2-36) in Pakistan's win over Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, the venue for their clash against England as well.