The central contract between fast bowler Haris Rauf and the national team was canceled by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday.
The national cricket governing body released a statement saying, “Fast bowler Haris Rauf has been penalised by Pakistan Cricket Board, following a probe into his refusal to join Pakistan’s Test squad for the tour of Australia 2023–24.”
The PCB-constituted committee had extensive hearings and investigated the issue before making its findings.
All parties with an interest in the topic had their opinions taken into consideration during this procedure.
“Haris’s central contract has been terminated from December 1, 2023 and no NOC (No objection certificate) to play any foreign league will be granted up to June 30, 2024,” said the statement.
According to the statement, on January 30, 2024, Rauf was given the opportunity for a personal hearing by the PCB management in accordance with the principles of natural justice, but his response was deemed inadequate.
According to the PCB, for every athlete, representing Pakistan is the highest honor and distinction.
“Refusal to be part of Pakistan’s Test squad in the absence of any medical report or justifiable reason is a material violation of the central contract,” it stated.
The highly regarded pacer Rauf had withdrawn from the Pakistani team for the away Test series against Australia, which was scheduled to take place in December 2023–January 2024. Instead, he had packed his bags and flown to Australia for the Big Bash League (BBL), which was held in the same nation.
The white-ball speedster had withdrawn from the Test series due to worries over his fitness and workload.
The fast bowler had earlier expressed concerns about his workload and fitness, but the Pakistani team’s physiotherapist had allayed any fears about injuries.
Only one Test match has the speedster played in thus far, against England in 2022. He has played nine matches in first-class cricket, but he has played more than 200 white-ball games in other formats.
A week prior to the Australia Test series, Rauf had responded to the PCB over a show-cause warning by stating that he had not had enough red-ball practise on the back.
The 30-year-old had stated that he would not be available for the three matches, despite the notification stating that players under central contracts should be accessible for the national team at all times.
Chief Selector Wahab Riaz and former cricket players also took a hard stance against the paceman for not wanting to play the lengthier format.
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