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Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has been sidelined due to a dislocated shoulder ahead of the highly anticipated T20 World Cup.
According to the ICC, Haris injured his shoulder while playing for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League and he will need at least four to six weeks to recover from the injury after a diagnosis by medical staff. Following this injury, the 30-year-old will miss the remainder of the PSL season and could also miss out on the upcoming World Cup, which is slated to begin on June 2. His compatriot and Lahore Qalandars skipper, Shaheen Afridi, stated that it is essential to provide Rauf with enough time to recover so he can be fit in time for the much awaited tournament. "As a team, we are deeply saddened by Haris Rauf's injury. It was painful to see him missing out as he's been a pillar of strength for us, and his absence will be felt. In the face of adversity, we stand united, and I have full confidence that the team will rise to the occasion," Afridi said as quoted from ICC. "It's indeed a setback for the franchise, but he is also Pakistan's main bowler and we have a lot of cricket coming up ahead, so a pragmatic approach was to give him maximum time to recover. Wishing him a speedy recovery and we eagerly await his return to the field stronger than ever. Our thoughts and support are with him during this challenging time," he added. Rauf's latest setback could hinder Pakistan's preparations for the upcoming tournament in the Caribbean as they look to seal their constantly changing frontline pacers ahead of the tournament. He recently featured during Pakistan's recent 4-1 T20I series loss against New Zealand. He claimed seven wickets in four matches and conceded 162 runs. Recently, Rauf's contract was terminated after he refused to participate in Pakistan's Test tour of Australia at the end of last year. The Asian giants displayed moments of brilliance, but the series was eventually whitewashed 3-0. (ANI)
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