'Don’t Aim To End His Career': Riaz Justifies Nod To Haris Rauf's BBL Participation
Haris Rauf (X.com)
Pakistani fast bowler Haris Rauf grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons shortly after the ODI World Cup exit. He initially refused to be a part of the men in green's upcoming test tour of Australia, which is scheduled to commence next week.
Harif Rauf opted out of the big series, citing workload issues. However, newly appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz took a strong stand and exposed the fast bowler in an open forum. The former bowler claimed that the PCB requested Rauf to at least appear for the training camp as the board-appointed media staff ruled out any cause of concern.
Yet, Haris Rauf refused to drop his stand. To further add fuel to the fire, the speedster sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from PCB over his forthcoming commitment to the Big Bash League franchise.
The fresh demand from Rauf irked PCB as they refused to grant NOC and instead issued a show cause notice to the speedster, seeking an explanation behind his decision to put national duties on the back burner.
Wahab Riaz Speaks Up!
Amid the raging controversy, Wahab Riaz defended the board's stand. He said PCB values Haris Rauf as he is the product of Pakistan's cricket system. In no way do they intend to end his career by any means.
"Haris Rauf is a product of our system, and we don’t aim to end his career. When a player signs the central contract, prioritizing Pakistan cricket is a must. Termination clauses exist, but rumors are spreading as if everyone knows the whole story. Show cause notices are not uncommon, so it’s unnecessary to exaggerate the situation," said Wahab Riaz
Wahab Riaz also called out the media for blowing the news of show cause notice out of proportion. He says such notices are not uncommon in sports, and one mustn't act like one knows the whole story.
Further, the chief selector explained that to keep Haris Rauf's rhythm intact; the board decided to grant him NOC for four weeks, wherein he is supposed to play only five games in BBL.
“Haris Rauf led the Islamabad team in the domestic T20 competition, but unfortunately, they didn’t reach the super eights stage. With a gap of one and a half months until the New Zealand tour, Cricket Australia’s Big Bash contract for him covers just five games. We aim to keep our players in rhythm, especially as he is a fast bowler. Hence, we granted him the NOC from December 7th to 28th. If selected, he will join the Pakistan team directly in New Zealand,” he added.
Moreover, since Pakistan's next series against New Zealand is far off, the BBL stint will keep the speedster busy.
 "Akshita Patel")
