Having made his Pakistan debut in 2020, Haris Rauf has come a long way. He has established himself as one of the leading fast bowlers in the world in white-ball cricket.

However, Rauf’s journey hasn’t been as smooth as it appears. The right-arm quick recently opened up about his financial struggles and how tape-ball cricket played a critical role in his life.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s documentary ‘The Incredible rise of Haris Rauf’, the pacer recalled the time when he used to sell snacks in the market to take care of his necessities.

"After matriculation, I used to work in the market selling snacks [nimco] on Sundays to be able to pay my fees. The rest of the week, I will attend school and academy,” Rauf said.

"The boys, who play tape-ball professionally in Pakistan, easily make around 2-2.5 lakh per month. I used to earn that and would give it to my mother but I never told my father about earning this much," he added.

The 29-year-old also mentioned that his family had to sleep in the kitchen during the struggling times.

"My father has three brothers and all lived together. My father had one big room and when my uncles got married, my father gave his room to his brothers. Eventually, we reached the point where we were sleeping in the kitchen," Rauf stated.

Haris Rauf has played 28 ODIs for Pakistan so far, claiming 53 wickets an impressive average of 24.32 with one five-wicket haul. He has also taken 83 scalps in 62 T20Is at an economy rate of 8.04.

Rauf is expected to play a key role for Pakistan in the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, slated to be held in India from October 5 to November 19.