T20 World Cup 2022: Haris Rauf's meteoric rise has taken him to the finals in the MCG

Haris Rauf was terrorising his club's batters in Tasmania three years ago.

On Sunday, the Pakistan team's fast bowler will have more experience playing at the MCG than any other player, which could give them an advantage in the World Cup final against England.

Haris Rauf's rise through the international ranks has been as fast as one of his yorkers.

In 2019, the 29-year-old bowler from Rawalpindi was playing for the Hobart suburb of Glenorchy when he got a call that would forever alter his fate.

After playing just three first-class matches in Pakistan, he was suddenly in the Melbourne Stars' Big Bash League squad as a replacement for South African legend Dale Steyn, one of Haris Rauf's idols.

"Haris Rauf's bowling abilities impressed our scouts, who thought he would be a terrific addition to the team." David Hussey

"We invited him to Melbourne, he played a trial match for us, and we immediately signed him. He became one of our best players in the first game."

In only his fourth game for the Stars, Haris Rauf instantly became a BBL cult hero when he scored a hat-trick against Sydney Thunder in January 2020.

David Hussey recalls that Haris Rauf's last-gasp try instantly changed the course of the game and set up a comfortable win for the Stars.

His heroics for the stars caught the attention of the Pakistan selectors, and just 16 days after his MCG hat-trick, Haris Rauf made his international debut in a T20 match against Bangladesh.

Haris Rauf has become a fixture in Pakistan's white-ball teams and has played 56 T20Is in less than three years, taking 70 wickets at an average of 23.27.