After Pakistan lost the second test against Australia, Afridi said, “Haris Rauf should have played tests instead of the BBL.” Pacer Haris Rauf should have been playing in the current Test series against Australia, not in the Big Bash League (BBL), according to former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi. Rauf is a member of the Melbourne Stars in the BBL 2023, however he chose not to play in the series in order to manage his workload.
Considering Rauf’s quickness and ability, Afridi believes the bowler may have made a big difference in this particular scenario. The only front-line pacer with considerable international experience is Shaheen Afridi, while Pakistan’s Naseem Shah is also sidelined due to injury for this series. Afridi adds that Rauf would have relished the challenge of bowling in Perth and Melbourne on fields constructed by the Australians.
“In my opinion, Haris [Rauf] ought to be on this team rather than [the BBL]. Speaking to the media at the MCG, Afridi stated, “In these conditions, with his kind of pace, he would have done well and enjoyed himself on the kinds of pitches Australia prepared in Perth and here.”
“I’ve always maintained that we can’t make the greatest choices if our bench is weak. The A team should be just as good as the starting lineup, thus we shouldn’t be able to use players’ absences, like we do with Naseem, as an excuse if Shaheen, Babar, or Rizwan aren’t good. There won’t be any more justifications until our bench is solid.”
“I have never received the sense that Shaheen is hurt. As a fast bowler, you cannot play if you are injured. He is aware of his responsibilities and his value to the group. Given their prior success, we have high expectations for the fast bowlers. We expect players like Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, and others to perform well in every game. In cricket, relentless consistency is difficult to achieve.”
