Haris Rauf says Pakistan must take wickets in the middle overs

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has said the team must take wickets in the middle overs of one-day internationals if it wants to cope with soaring scores, Dawn reported, speaking to reporters at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday ahead of Sunday’s tri-series match against England.

“If you do not take wickets in the middle overs, you will struggle as a team,” Haris said. “If their middle-order batters or openers remain at the crease until the end, they can hurt you.”

The numbers behind the problem

Pakistan’s bowlers have averaged 4.11 dismissals between overs 11 and 40 in ODIs since the start of 2023, a period that included the team’s poor 2023 World Cup campaign in India. The figures show a side that often depends on early breakthroughs and late-innings bowling to contain opponents, Dawn noted. Haris has played in most of Pakistan’s matches in that time and said he understands the team’s shortcomings as it looks ahead to the 2027 World Cup, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan have started the tri-series well, beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs and England by 87 runs in their first two matches. But Thursday’s game in Rawalpindi, in which Sri Lanka chased down 430 after England made 429-4, showed how little room for error bowlers have on batting-friendly pitches. Read our report on England’s total of 429-4 and the Sri Lanka chase.

“Nowadays, we may have to score 350-plus runs ourselves at the World Cup and chase totals of 350-plus as well,” Haris said. “The support for bowlers is a little less, but you have to keep working on your own skills and make the most of situations when conditions favour you.”

Reverse swing and the new rules

One possible help is reverse swing, especially under the changed ODI playing conditions introduced in July last year. Two new balls are used until the end of the 34th over, after which the fielding side picks one ball to be used from both ends for overs 35 to 50. Before the change, a separate ball was used from each end for the whole innings, which limited how much either could age.

Haris said the older ball could help in daytime matches, when conditions suit reverse swing, but that dew could reduce its effect in night games.

Work in domestic cricket

The 32-year-old played four matches for Pakistan Television in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-I competition and took 18 wickets at an average of 20.11, including two four-wicket hauls and a best of 5-34. For a bowler whose rise was based largely on raw pace, domestic cricket has given him a chance to improve his control and build the stamina to bowl longer spells.

Haris came out of Pakistan’s tape-ball circuit before earning recognition through Lahore Qalandars’ development programme, and made his international debut in 2020. “Domestic cricket is just as important as international cricket,” he said. “You go there and work on your mistakes. I tried to bowl longer spells, and having played four-day cricket, I feel that one-day cricket is not as difficult for me now. Your control over line and length improves.”

A return to Test cricket?

The stint has also led Haris to repeat his willingness to return to Test cricket, a format at the centre of a dispute between him and the then chief selector Wahab Riaz in late 2023. Haris pulled out of Pakistan’s tour of Australia after being considered for selection, citing workload and fitness concerns. Wahab said the team had planned to use him in short spells as an impact bowler and that management had received assurances about his availability. The row escalated in February 2024, when the PCB terminated his central contract, citing his refusal to tour.

Haris said he had not been ready for Test cricket’s demands then but was working towards making himself available if needed. “I am looking at myself for that role as well. If the team needs a fast bowler or someone who can provide pace, why should I not make myself available?” he said. “If I get the opportunity to play red-ball cricket for Pakistan, I will certainly take it.”

Why it matters

Pakistan have won both of their first two games, but the bowling attack still has a gap in the middle overs, and England’s batting has shown it can punish that. Sunday’s match at Gaddafi Stadium will test whether the bowlers can strike between overs 11 and 40 rather than relying on the new ball and the death overs. Haris said criticism of runs conceded would not deter him, arguing that even the best bowlers have bad days in modern cricket.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.