Haris Rauf remembers his struggles before to his ascension to international cricket: “Used to sell snacks in the market to pay my fees.”

In the 2017 ODI World Cup, Haris Rauf will play a crucial role for Pakistan. He has previously challenged batters with his sheer pace, and he will try to do the same to help his team win the prestigious competition in India. Rauf’s life was not always a fairytale, even if he is now Pakistan’s first-choice player.

Reminiscing about his early struggles, the 29-year-old has shared how he had to labor on Sundays in the market and sell snacks to pay for his college tuition because his parents weren’t able to afford it. Later, the pacer switched to tape-ball cricket, where he earned an average of $2–$2.5 lakhs each month. Since many of his financial issues were thus resolved, he was able to assist his parents financially as well.

“After matriculation, I used to work in the market on Sundays selling snacks (nimco) in order to pay my tuition. I have school and academy the remainder of the week. The documentary “The Incredible rise of Haris Rauf” on ESPNcricinfo cited Rauf as saying, “When I enrolled in university, my father’s income wasn’t enough to be able to pay my fees and I couldn’t afford it either. But by playing tape-ball cricket, I would easily manage my fees.”

“The Pakistani lads who play tape-ball professionally make easily between two and 2.5 lakh each month. I used to make that and give it to my mom, but I never informed my dad that I made so much money, he continued.

It was hardly an easy step from tape-ball cricket to the international level, but Haris Rauf Raufmade it happen with his unrelenting work ethic.

After making his international cricket debut in 2020, he quickly established himself as a player to watch. Before a pain in his right side forced him out of the just finished Asia Cup, the cricketer was immensely helpful during that competition. He will be aiming to assist his country win another world championship at the ODI World Cup, though, and is fully fit for it.