In a funny incident, Melbourne Stars fast bowler Haris Rauf chose not to wear pads when he stepped into bat during the Big Bash League match against Sydney Thunder in Albury.
The incident occurred during the final over of the first innings when star batsman, Mark Steketee, was run out at the non-striker’s end off the penultimate ball.
With one ball remaining, unless the Thunder player delivered a wide or no-ball delivery, Rauf assumed he would not face the ball and initially came out without even a helmet and gloves; However, he later changed his mind and took those things; However, he was left without his pads for the final ball.
Sams picked out Liam Dawson off the last ball, ensuring that Rauf would not face a delivery.
Sams’ four wickets meant the Stars bowled out 172 of their overs, which the Thunder chased down in 18.2 overs with five wickets in hand. Rauf bowled three overs and remained wicketless.
Rauf has opted out of the ongoing three-match Test series against Australia, citing workload management. Pakistan chief selectors Wahab Riaz criticized pacers while selecting the team. However, Riyad changed his mind earlier this month and looked to defend the player.
Riaz said that the PCB has coordinated this NOC to ensure Rauf stays in optimal shape in the lead-up to the T20 series in New Zealand. “Between now and the New Zealand tournament, 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 five matches,” he told reporters.
“Given the idea that there will not be any cricket for a month and a half, and he is a fast bowler, and to ensure that he maintains his rhythm, we have given him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from December 7 to 28,” he added. “This will cover his five matches in the Big Bash so that he can travel with the Pakistan team for the tour of New Zealand. This is the scientific reason why he was given the NOC.
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First published on: 12-23-2023 at 05:08 IST