Pakistan's Problems In Cricket World Cup 2023: Haris Rauf's Poor Game Awareness, Lack Of Good Spinners

It can only happen with a Pakistan team. In the same match, its bowlers can bowl an eye-popping 152 dot balls and yet end up conceding a massive 367 runs in 50 overs. It happened against Australia in a World Cup match on Friday when there was no 'bad' element in Pakistan's bowling. There was only 'good' and 'ugly' facets -- the two extremes that has gone on to define Pakistan cricket since time immemorial. There are no half measures for Pakistan. At one end, they pegged Australia for what was worth half the total number of overs and at the other end, they were hammered for 29 fours and 19 sixes.

And, this was after their bowling department's leader Shaheen Shah Afridi produced the best individual bowling figures of this edition -- 5 for 54.

It is now well documented that Naseem Shah's absence is hurting the team badly but even then, Haris Rauf's lack of game awareness and not having spinners of international quality have affected the team's performance.

Rauf, for example, hasn't got a hang of Indian tracks where he is either bowling too full or too short -- the latter in most cases -- which has hurt the team like no end.

Rauf has been hit for 11 sixes in four games and that is more than two sixes per game, which isn't a great piece of statistic for a tearaway quick who is supposed to intimidate the batters.

He went for 24 in his first over against Australia and 3/83 in 8 overs aren't numbers that he would like to remember.

Legendary Wasim Akram, who is an expert on Pakistani show 'Pavilion', made a telling comment about Rauf.

"Rauf till he doesn't play domestic cricket, he will have problems in ODIs. In T20, you can survive as it is only four overs and you expect batters to attack. But you learn ODI bowling when you play