CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress / ITDC News Bhopal: Former Pakistan captain Butt slammed Rauf for lacking “common sense and game awareness” after getting hit for a six and a four in the last three deliveries of USA’s chase of the 160-run target, enough for them to take the game into a Super Over.
Rauf conceded 37 runs from his quota of four overs during Pakistan’s tournament opener against the co-hosts at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Thursday. That included 14 in the final over of the match, enough for the United States to finish level on scores with the Pakistanis after being set 160 to win, and take the game into a Super Over.
The 30-year-old pacer started the over on a tidy note, conceding a single off each of the first three deliveries. Aaron Jones managed to bring the Americans back into the game by smashing Rauf for a six in the fourth delivery. Two balls later, Nitish Kumar struck the ball over mid off to help tie the game.
On both occasions, Rauf was guilty of bowling low full tosses while attempting to bowl yorkers. And former Pakistan captain Butt was especially critical of Rauf bowling full when mid off was up for the final delivery of the chase.
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“It is not a surprise that he conceded so many runs because he is that kid who doesn’t look at his field at all. Mid-off is inside the circle, and yet he bowls full and gets hit for a boundary on the last ball. You can see the captain also screamed at him. When you have mid-off up, then you don’t bowl full balls. This is a basic of cricket,” Butt said on the Cricket Baithak podcast.
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Butt further accused Rauf — a veteran of 191 T20Is, 69 of which have been for Pakistan — of lacking “common sense” and for being over-dramatic after being hit for boundaries, almost as if he had been robbed blind.
“He (Haris Rauf) has some weird style when he bowls a ball and just sits on his knees with his hand on his head. It is as if he incurred a loss in shares or someone robbed him. I don’t know what he tries to portray but that is so unprofessional. You never learn anything. They lacked common sense and game awareness,” Butt added.