Lahore Qalandar's Haris Rauf may become the fastest bowler of the World
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ISLAMABAD - Lahore Qalanadar’s Haris Rauf Sunday said his goal was to bowl the fastest delivery in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2019 and earn a place in the national squad for this year’s World Cup. The 25-year-old had never bowled with a red or white leather ball before he was picked up in the trials in Gujranwala in 2017, said a statement issued here. Haris impressed with his bowling in a multi-national Twenty20 tournament held in Abu Dhabi last year when he bowled for Lahore Qalandars and defended 19 runs in the last over in the final against South Africa’s Titans. Which helped Qalandars won the title. On Saturday, Haris in a PSL game against Karachi took four for 23 in just 4 overs. In tandem with Shaheen Shah Afridi – who took two for 20 – Haris destroyed Karachi Kings to help Lahore defend a modest 139-run target.Hailing from Rawalpindi, Haris worked part-time in a shop as a salesman. “I never thought to play for Lahore one day and all credit goes to Qalandars for tapping my talent”. “My family always opposed me playing cricket. Some of the trophies I won were thrown away as my parents wanted me to become an engineer or a doctor, but I used to run away and play cricket,” he said. Lahore team’s coach Aqib Javed believes Haris can break Shoaib Akhtar’s record of fastest bowl. “He has the potential and the ability to become one of the fastest bowlers in the world,” he said.
Lahore Qalandars’ official Rana Sameen said Haris came for the trials in Gujranwala in September 2017 when he delivered the first ball, the speed gun showed 92.3mph. “We could not believe, so we asked him to bowl again and it was of the same speed," he recalled. He said we engaged him for the Australia tour in the development squad and invited Kyle Mills (England fast bowler) and Grant Elliott (New Zealand all-rounder) as coaches.
