Pakistan VS England: Haris Rauf will be in the spotlight for Pakistan in the home series

But it will also be a special series for Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf. The 29-year-old has been a mainstay of the Pakistan team in white ball cricket but is finally set to make his Test debut in this series. 

And, by his admission, it is something he and every other player in the country considers an important milestone. 

“Getting a Test cap is important for every player. I will perform to the best of my ability if I make my debut in the first Test,” Haris Rauf said ahead of the first Test. 

“The bowling mindset is different in red-ball cricket as compared to white-ball matches. I’m practicing while keeping this in mind.” 

Indeed, that will be the critical adjustment for Haris Rauf to make – the ability to manage himself for longer spells, which he hasn’t needed to do during white ball games. 

The limited nature of the overs in white ball cricket is a boon for express pacers like Haris Rauf, who can go hard for the duration of their overs or even in short bursts if necessary. 

However, the strategy is very different in red-ball cricket. When bowling as a pacer, one must decide when to go all out and when to be defensive. 

That’s where the focus will be not just for Haris Rauf but fans of Pakistan cricket, as they will be waiting with bated breath to see if he can manage the workload. 

Of course, there’s another reason why there’s so much focus on Haris Rauf – Pakistan without Shaheen Shah Afridi. 

The left-arm pacer was injured during the T20 World Cup final and unable to bowl out his full quota of overs, putting him on the shelf for at least a while. 

To make things worse, he had to undergo appendicitis surgery earlier in the month and is unlikely to be a part of the Pakistan setup until at least April 2023. 

And while Haris Rauf admitted the team would miss their talisman, he also said that all the bowlers are ready to step up to the plate. 

“Shaheen’s absence will hurt Pakistan’s bowling attack. However, the rest of the bowlers are also confident ahead of the series,” Haris Rauf said. 

But there’s a reason the focus is more on Haris Rauf than anyone else – because he, like Shaheen Shah Afridi, is a proven match-winner. 

Haris Rauf has repeatedly shown that he can trouble even the best of batters with his ability to hit the right lines and lengths – all while clocking more than 150 km/h. 

Therefore, all eyes will be on the 29-year-old and how he adjusts to the rigours of Test cricket. Pakistan’s fate in the series may well depend on just that – as well as Haris Rauf delivering the kind of performances fans have come to expect from him.