Pakistan's legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi has come down heavily on Haris Rauf's decision of opting out of the upcoming Test series against Australia. The three-match Test series between Pakistan and Australia is scheduled to be played from December 14, 2023 to January 7, 2024.
Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi shared his verdict on pacer Haris Rauf pulling out of the Test series against Australia. Rauf, who had initially expressed his desire to participate, changed his mind at the last minute, citing workload concerns. Rauf's withdrawal has raised eyebrows among cricket experts and fans alike. Afridi has joined the chorus of voices questioning Rauf's decision. Afridi, speaking to Samaa TV, deemed Rauf's decision as ‘not a correct move’ as he feels the star Pakistani pacer should have capitalised on the opportunity to perform in Australian conditions, where fast bowlers typically thrive.
“If the Test series had been in Asia, I wouldn’t have taken Haris Rauf along. Haris Rauf is missing a big opportunity because Australian conditions are very good for the pacers. Fast bowlers enjoy playing in those conditions. He didn’t need to play all three games, had he played just one and along with training and practice sessions, he could’ve prepared well for the T20I sides against New Zealand, where conditions are different. He could’ve adjusted easily. I think refusing to tour Australia for the test series is not the correct decision by Haris Rauf,” Afridi said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's newly appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz said that Rauf's absence will hurt the team.
“We spoke to Haris Rauf about this tour 2 days ago, and he gave his consent to playing Tests for Pakistan. However, he changed his mind last night and didn’t want to be a part of this Australia Test series. He was worried about fitness issues and workload," Wahab said, as quoted by Cricketaddictor.
“We gave him assurances that we will facilitate him and accept any potential failures. Our physio said he has no injury concerns. He is fatigued, but we could have managed him well. However, he pulled out and is unavailable for this tour. I think this could hurt Pakistan cricket,” he added.
Here’s Pakistan’s squad for the Test series against Australia:
Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Nauman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed
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