Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf will undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) after suffering a hamstring injury during the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 while representing the San Francisco Unicorns.
According to reports, Rauf is expected to begin his rehab in the coming week. He was not included in Pakistan's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on July 20 in Dhaka.
The rehabilitation process is expected to take approximately 10 to 12 days. If the right-arm pacer regains full fitness in time, he will be considered for selection for Pakistan's white-ball tour of the West Indies, scheduled for next month.
Rauf has been a standout performer in MLC 2025, currently ranking as the second-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 9.08.
On Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-member squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh.
All-rounder Agha Salman will continue to captain the side, while vice-captain Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf were both ruled out due to injuries.
Shadab recently underwent successful shoulder surgery in the UK. The procedure was performed on his right shoulder, which had been bothering him for some time.
Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has opened ticket sales for the upcoming white-ball series against Pakistan.
The T20I series will begin on July 31 at the Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, with the remaining two matches scheduled for August 2 and 3.
This will be followed by a three-match ODI series in Trinidad, with matches scheduled for August 8, 10, and 12.
The PCB had earlier proposed converting the ODI series into T20Is to provide more preparation for Pakistan in the shortest format ahead of the 2025 ACC Men's Asia Cup and the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, both of which will be played in the T20 format.
However, despite ongoing discussions, CWI is reportedly inclined to stick with the originally agreed tour itinerary.
While no official response has been issued yet, sources suggest the West Indies board is firm on retaining the current schedule, which includes both the T20I and ODI series.
Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20I series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufyan Moqim.
Earlier, Pakistan's T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha, recently opened up in a candid interview with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), offering insights into his teammates' personalities and his own unique talents.
Since taking on the T20I captaincy earlier this year, Agha has proven to be not only a leader on the field but also someone with a sense of humour off it.
When asked to imagine his teammates in film roles, Agha had plenty of playful ideas.
He placed Pakistan's top batter, Babar Azam, in the lead as the hero, while fast bowler Haris Rauf, with his fiery on-field persona, would fit the role of a villain.
Agha also gave pacer Hasan Ali the title of the team's comedian and suggested Abdullah Shafique would be best suited for the role of a love-struck character.
As for Fakhar Zaman, Agha cheekily cast him as a singer and said he would cast Zaman in a 'musical' role.
Agha didn't stop there; he reflected on his own life choices, joking that if he weren't a cricketer, he would have likely been a businessman. He also revealed that, given a magical ability, he would erase social media platforms.
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