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Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has put his faith in Haris Rauf's experience of playing in the Australian Big Bash League (BBL) team
Melbourne Stars, and hopes that this could help his team in the 2022 T20 World Cup Super 12 clash against India on Sunday, October 22, when the two side lock horns at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Haris has played two seasons in the BBL for the Melbourne Stars, who use the MCG as their home ground. In his first BBL season in 2018-19, Rauf picked up a hat trick at the same venue, finishing with a five-wicket haul. The 28-year-old Pakistan skipper was also quick to heap praise on Rauf for leading the bowling attack from the front and not letting Pakistan feel the absence of Shaheen Afridi, who recently recovered from a knee injury.
"He knows the conditions well, having played in the BBL. It's literally his home ground. He has passed a lot of information to the bowlers and batters. The way he has improved as a bowler, leading the pack, not letting us feel Shaheen's absence, it's going to help us a lot," Babar was quoted as saying in the pre-match press conference.
Earlier, Rauf also spoke about knowing the playing conditions in Melbourne. For the upcoming World Cup match, I'm very happy because it is at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is my home ground because I play for the Melbourne Stars and I have an idea of how the conditions play out there. I've already started planning how I would bowl against India,” Haris said during the post-match interview of the recently-concluded T20I series at home against England.
With Pakistan heading into the all-important clash against India, Babar also addressed his team's middle-order batting issues, saying, "You will get to know this on that day. On the day in a T20I, any player can surprise us. Any player can win you matches. I have full belief in my middle-order batters as they have won us plenty of matches and have performed in tough times. Anything can happen and we should be ready for everything."
