In a significant move for Pakistan, it was revealed ahead of the series that star pacer Haris Rauf had withdrawn to better manage his workload. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) new top selector, Wahab Riaz, was not pleased with Rauf’s decision to withdraw from the series.
Pakistan, who struggled in the just-finished ODI World Cup 2023, will now turn their attention to red-ball cricket when they play Australia in a three-match Test series from December 14 to January 7.
In an attack on Rauf, Riaz told reporters that Pakistan Cricket will suffer a great deal as a result of his decision to withdraw from the Test series.
“We had a conversation with Haris Rauf regarding this visit, and he granted us permission to represent Pakistan in Test cricket two days prior.
He decided last night, nevertheless, that he no longer wanted to be a part of this test series. We should be truthful with officials, fellow players, and the general public, which is why I’m disclosing this. Haris expressed concern to us over his workload, physical health, and overall well-being. I sat with him and made every effort to help, along with Muhammad Hafeez. ESPNcricinfo cited Wahab Riaz as saying, “We told him even if he didn’t perform well there, we would accept it.”
Wahab Riaz: I believe this will harm Pakistani cricket.
Furthermore, according to Riaz, Pakistan Cricket will suffer if Rauf decides not to play in the Australia Test series. The head selector even spoke with the team physio, who advised that the player shouldn’t have any injuries.
“Our physiotherapist told him not to anticipate any problems or injuries. There is weariness, of course, but we thought we could have handled it just fine. However, he withdrew at the last minute and made himself unavailable. This, in my opinion, will harm Pakistani cricket,” Riaz stated.
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