Former Australia captains Aaron Finch and Michael Clarke have expressed surprise over Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf’s exclusion from the national squad for the  T20 World Cup 2026, despite his strong showing in the recently concluded Big Bash League (BBL) season.

 

Rauf finished as the leading wicket-taker in BBL 15 with 20 wickets in 11 matches but did not make Pakistan’s T20 squad for the tournament, which India and Sri Lanka will host from February 7 to March 8.

 

During a discussion on a local sports platform, Finch said that the decision caught him off guard and stressed the importance of impact players in T20 cricket.

 

Aaron Finch and Michael Clarke are surprised Haris Rauf isn't going to the #T20WorldCup after he topped the wicket charts at #BBL15 👀 pic.twitter.com/K2tmMWiyfd

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 28, 2026

 

“Yeah, I thought... I was really surprised when I saw that he wasn't in the squad. I thought he brings that X-factor,” Finch said.

 

The former Australia skipper added that genuine wicket-takers remain vital in the shortest format, even if they concede runs at times.

 

“Yes, he can be costly at times, but when you've got a genuine wicket-taker in all three phases of the game, that is the most important thing for me in T20 cricket, finding a way to get wickets, particularly on some flat surfaces as well. So, yeah, I was really surprised by that,” he said.

 

Clarke also acknowledged the surprise surrounding Rauf’s omission but linked the decision to conditions in the subcontinent and the roles Pakistan’s selectors want players to fill.

 

“Surprised, but again, it's another indication that playing in Australia is very different from playing in Sri Lanka and India. You pick your squad for conditions, for the role you're going to play in that team. So they obviously don't see him playing a role like he did in the BBL,” Clarke said.

 

The former captain added that recent form and match practice still matter when naming a World Cup squad.

 

“But I think form is important as well. When you're picking a World Cup squad, you'd rather have players going into the tournament with some cricket and good form under their belt. So let's see what happens,” he said.

 

Despie strong performance in BBL, Rauf’s recent record in high-pressure moments may have influenced the decision. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, he failed to defend 15 runs in the final over against the United States, which forced a Super Over that Pakistan lost in a major upset.

 

In the 2022 T20 World Cup against India, Rauf bowled the 19th over while Pakistan defended 28 runs off eight balls. Virat Kohli struck two sixes off the final deliveries to swing the match in India’s favour.

 

The most damaging blow came in the 2025 Asia Cup final against India. With India needing 10 runs in the final over, Rauf conceded the runs in just four balls, finishing with figures of 50 runs in four overs without a wicket.

 

More recently, Rauf could not defend 10 runs in the final over against Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

 

Pakistan will open their T20 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo. Under the ICC’s hybrid model, Pakistan will play all of their matches in Sri Lanka, as teams from Pakistan and India will not tour each other’s countries for ICC events during the agreed period.

 

If Pakistan reach the semi-finals and final, Colombo will host both knockout matches. Otherwise, Kolkata will stage the semi-finals, while Ahmedabad will host the final.

 

Pakistan have named a 15-member squad for the tournament, led by Salman Ali Agha, and featuring Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan and Usman Tariq.