England vs Pakistan 2020: Haris Rauf to join Pakistan squad in England after testing negative for COVID-19

Haris Rauf to join Pakistan squad: The Pakistani fast bowler has finally tested negative for COVID-19 on two consecutive occasions.

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf will finally travel to England for the forthcoming tour. Part of the original 29-member squad, Rauf had repeatedly missed the flight to England for he continued to test positive for COVID-19.

Rauf, 26, was among the 10 Pakistani players who tested positive for COVID-19 last month. While the other nine players recovered subsequently and are in England, Rauf continued to live in self-isolation during his battle around a global pandemic.

It is said that Rauf tested positive on nearly six occasions before testing negative on two consecutive occasions. It is worth mentioning that a player has to return two consecutive negative tests before being eligible to find a place inside a bio-secure bubble for international cricket.

Haris Rauf to join Pakistan squad in England

Rauf himself took to social media platform Twitter to announce the development around him testing negative. “Can’t thank enough Allah for the blessings He bestowed upon me during my tough times & fight against the epidemic COVID-19,” read a part of Rauf’s tweet.

Can’t thank enough Allah for the blessings He bestowed upon me during my tough times & fight against the epidemic COVID-19.
الحمدلله tested negative and feeling absolutely fine and well. Thank you everyone who extended their prayers & well wishes.

— Haris Rauf (@HarisRauf14) July 30, 2020

Rauf, who made his T20I debut against Bangladesh in January this year, was said to be replaced by fast bowler Mohammed Amir in the T20I side. With Pakistan already announcing a 20-man Test squad, both Amir and Rauf will now feature in the three-match T20I series.

Rauf, who picked 20 wickets in 10 T20s at an average of 13.35, an economy rate of 7.05 and a strike rate of 11.3 for Melbourne Stars in the recent season of Big Bash League, would be longing to bowl in the suitable conditions of England this summer.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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