Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on February 11 announced uncapped left-arm pacer Akif Javed as injured Haris Rauf's replacement in the ongoing tri-nation series at home. Rauf who got injured during the opening clash against New Zealand at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, has been rested for the remainder of the series as a precautionary measure ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
"The replacement is only for the tri-nation ODI series, as Haris Rauf is expected to be fully fit and available for selection for the ICC Champions Trophy," the PCB said in a release.
However, Javed won't feature in the virtual semifinal against South Africa at National Stadium, Karachi on February 12 as Pakistan's playing XI has already been announced. Mohammad Hasain has replaced Rauf in the side. Javed may feature in the final against New Zealand if Pakistan manage to beat South Africa who have got reinforcements in the form of senior players.
Pakistan's playing XI for South Africa ODI -
Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohamamd Rizwan (c & wk), Agha Salman, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed
Javed's record and recent performances
The 24-year-old Javed has played just 30 List A games and taken 33 wickets at an average of 36 including one five-wicket haul. His economy rate is 6.07 runs per over.
He recently represented Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024-25 where he claimed 20 wickets from 11 games at an average of 14.30 including a four-fer. His economy rate was impressive at 6.89 runs per over.
Pakistan's squad for tri-series -
Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Usman Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Faheem Ashraf, Saud Shakeel