Shocking Omission: Pakistan Drops Highest T20I Wicket-Taker Haris Rauf from World Cup Squad

• Haris Rauf, Pakistan's highest T20I wicket-taker with 133 dismissals, has been excluded from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
• The 32-year-old fast bowler last played a T20I in the Asia Cup 2025 final, where he conceded 50 runs without taking a wicket against India.
• Aqib Javed, PCB Director of High Performance, cited spin-friendly conditions in Sri Lanka (the tournament venue) as the reason for prioritizing spinners over pacers.
• Despite Rauf's absence, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah will lead Pakistan's pace attack, joined by Salman Mirza and Faheem Ashraf.
• The squad includes Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, but former captain Mohammad Rizwan was again omitted.

Why It Matters: Pakistan dropped Haris Rauf from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad due to Sri Lanka's spin-friendly pitches.