Pacers Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, and leg-spinner Usama Mir were all given no-objection certificates by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday for the next Big Bash League.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board has issued no-objection certificates (NOC) to fast bowlers Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, and leg-spinner Usama Mir for the Big Bash League 2023–24,” the PCB announced in an official statement. The National Men’s Team’s Tour schedule and player workload were taken into consideration by the board when deciding to issue the NOCs.”
Zaman will only play in four games, while Rauf and Mir are permitted to participate in five.
The games are scheduled for December 7–28. Zaman is with Sydney Thunder, while Rauf and Mir will play for the Melbourne Stars.
“The PCB recognises that this choice strikes a balance between workload management and game time, serving the interests of all parties concerned. Zaman has received NOCs for four matches, while Haris and Usama have received NOCs for a total of five matches. The dates of all these games are scheduled for December 7 through December 28,” the statement continued.
Pakistan’s three-match Test series against Australia, which kicks off on December 14, does not include Rauf.
Wahab Riaz, the chief selector for Pakistan, criticised speedster Haris Rauf for withdrawing from the upcoming Australia Test series, claiming it would be detrimental to the “Men in Green.”
Rauf had initially agreed to play Test cricket but had since changed his mind, the chief selector disclosed when announcing the 18-member Pakistani squad for their tour of Australia.
“We discussed this tour with Haris Rauf. He agreed to play Test cricket for Pakistan when we spoke with him two days ago. However, he had a change of heart last night and no longer wishes to participate in this Test series. We should be truthful with officials, our teammates, and the general public, which is why I’m disclosing this. When we spoke with Haris, he expressed concern about his workload, physical health, and overall fitness. Together with Muhammad Hafeez, I sat with him and made every effort to help him. Wahab had earlier said, “We told him that even if he didn’t do well there, we would accept it.
