Pakistan chief selectors Wahab Riaz criticizes Haris Rauf for choosing not to participate in the Australia Tests - LSB

In his first press conference since his appointment to the position, Wahab announced Pakistan’s 18-member squad, but almost immediately, he shifted focus towards not selecting Rauf, accusing the player of going back on his word. A source close to Raouf told ESPNcricinfo that it is an allegation that the player strongly denies.

“We spoke with Haris Raouf during this tour,” Wahab said. “When we spoke to him two days ago, he agreed to play Test cricket for Pakistan. But he changed his mind last night, and now he does not want to be part of this Test series. I am revealing this because “we have to be honest with the officials, his teammates and the public. We spoke to a goalkeeper and he was concerned about his body and fitness, as well as the workload. Mohamed Hafeez and I sat with him and tried to facilitate him in every way. We told him that even if he did not perform well there, we would accept it.

“The physiotherapist spoke to him and said he didn’t expect any problem or injury. Of course there is fatigue, but we were sure we could have handled that very well. But he pulled out at the last minute and made himself unavailable. I think that will hurt Pakistani cricket.” “

ESPNcricinfo understands that Raouf views his conversation with Wahab very differently. A source close to the player revealed that Raouf never committed to playing the test matches in Australia, and confirmed that he was not present the night before. Wahab told that he did not play much red-ball cricket in the preparation period, and wanted to work on his white-ball game as well as his fitness.

Wahab also mentioned other talking points about selecting Pakistan’s first team since Babar Azam’s resignation as captain, but he has repeatedly found himself falling back on Rauf.

“I just told you an abbreviated version of what Haris and I talked about,” he said. “We spoke to the captain and coach and said that we are looking at Haris Rauf as an impact player. We were not asking for more than 10-12 runs a day. The only problem is when you say you are available for Pakistan, especially at a time when the three main fast bowlers were out,” he said. High, who can play more than 140 [kph] Other than the guard is not available. At some point, you need to sacrifice in order to play for your country. Haris committed to us and withdrew two days later.”

The fact that Rauf’s absence sparked such a strong reaction is surprising for cricketing reasons as well. Rauf has only played one Test match, the first being against England in Rawalpindi last year. He was injured after bowling 13 overs in the first innings and did not bowl after that. He was not part of Pakistan’s squad for the away series in Sri Lanka, which Pakistan won 2-0. But the conditions in Australia, coupled with the absence of Naseem Shah and Ehsanullah, mean Wahab appears to feel strongly about Rauf’s presence on the tour.

“I have played with most of these boys and have a great relationship with them,” Wahab said. “But when it comes to professionalism, we have to look at what is best for Pakistan. Haris was not available after the England series and was not part of any other Test series. When you are a centrally contracted player, it is your duty to serve Pakistan. “I am not disappointed, but the same Players will later complain that they were not given a chance, and people will wonder why this or that player was not selected.”

Wahab said it would not affect his inclusion in Pakistan’s T20I and ODI squad, but he “respects and appreciates players who want to be part of red-ball cricket. Playing red-ball cricket makes you a better player.”

The clash between player and selector leads to a fascinating showdown ahead of the Big Bash League tournament in Australia. Rauf is a prominent player for Melbourne Stars. The league begins on December 13 and runs until February 4, overlapping with all three Tests in Australia, and would have hampered his availability had he been part of the Pakistan squad.

However, ESPNcricinfo also understands that there is no guarantee that the PCB will issue a no-objection certificate for Rauf to play BBL while relations between the chief selector and Rauf remain tense. Centrally contracted Pakistani players have signed recent contracts that have seen the PCB agree to allow the players to participate in two foreign T20 leagues, but it remains to be seen how this will play out in practice.