Eng vs Pak, 3rd T20I – Haris Rauf on shoulder dislocation – ‘Injury reduction could be blessing in disguise’

All that downtime, Haris admits, might not have been such a bad thing. “I got injured a few months ago but if you believe in yourself, being laid off can be a blessing,” he said at a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s third T20I against England in Cardiff. “Because you have time to recover and reassess your game plans. I felt good about coming back to cricket. When you play for your country, it makes you very proud.”

His return to Edgbaston was strong, if very brief. He was the designated fast bowler, taking two wickets in 34 in his allotted spell. It included an ill-advised Powerplay over – in Rauf’s weakest phase – which scored 17. Throughout his tenure he has continued with his pace and accuracy, and has walked the ball while picking up two wickets.,

It would not ultimately be enough as Pakistan fell comfortably in the end. “When you lose a game, it hurts, but as a team we are confident,” he said. “We feel like we can beat any opponent on any given day. We’ve done it in the past. When you make mistakes you learn and try not to repeat those mistakes. We’re looking to play better in the next few games and we’re looking to play better in the next few games and do that. Make a comeback.

“Camp is relaxed. We’re having fun. We’re trying to follow our game plans and execute them well. The results haven’t been in our favor lately but if you stick to your plans it can come sometimes.”

Rauf admits that winning the next two games will give Pakistan much-needed confidence, but insists that these games are about more than that. Before the World Cup, if you win a series, it gives you confidence, but even if you lose, you understand the mistakes you made and learn from them,” he said. “This series of matches is difficult, but we will try to win it. Yes, the focus is on the World Cup, which we intend to win to make our country proud.”