Archive photo of guard Raouf.© Agence France-Presse
Pakistan chief selector Wahab Riaz, who criticized fast bowler Haris Rauf for opting out of the Test series in Australia, has now defended the No Objection Certificate given to him to play in the Big Bash Down Under. Wahab, while announcing Pakistan’s Test squad for the series last month, criticized Haris, for not making himself available for selection for the three matches in Australia.
While speaking to the media on Saturday, Wahab mentioned that the PCB has coordinated this NOC to ensure that Haris remains in optimal shape in the lead-up to the T20 series in New Zealand.
“Between now and the New Zealand series, there is a gap of 1.5 months during which Haris Rauf will not play any cricket. His contract with Cricket Australia in the Big Bash consists of just 5 matches.
“Given the idea that there will not be any cricket for a month and a half and that he is a fast bowler, to ensure that he maintains his rhythm, we have given him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from December 7 to 28.
“This will cover his five matches in the Big Bash so that he can then travel with the Pakistan team for the tour of New Zealand. This is the scientific reason behind giving him the NOC,” Wahab explained.
Al-Wahab’s comments about the contestant indicate a contradictory change in his position.
“Two days ago he (Haris) told us that he was available for the Test series, and last night he said he had concerns about the workload and fitness issues so he was not available,” Wahab said in the press conference on November 20.
“Pakistan national team manager Mohammad Hafeez and I went and spoke to him in detail and told him that the captain and coach wanted him (Haris) to play in Australia because he is an influential bowler and we assured him that he would not do that.” Wahab narrated over 10-12 quantities per day in Australia.
“As a centrally contracted player, we felt that he should not have taken a step back. We felt that Haris, if he wants to play for Pakistan, should be ready as a player to make sacrifices and play for the team,” the chief selector said. He said.
Interestingly, Al-Wahab claimed in his press conference on November 20 that as a policy in future only those players who prefer to play for the country will be considered.
He added: “Any player, regardless of his identity or size, if he does not prioritize the Pakistani national team, will not feature in our future plans.”
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