Shahid Afridi: “I think Haris should be part of this side instead, rather than [the BBL]”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said fast bowler Haris Rauf should be in the Test team instead of playing in T20 tournaments like the Big Bash League (BBL).
Rauf was initially selected for the recent three-match Test series against Australia, but withdrew at the last moment due to workload concerns.
Instead of featuring in the longest format for his country, the 30-year-old opted to represent the Melbourne Stars in the BBL.
“I think Haris should be part of this side instead, rather than [the BBL],” Afridi was quoted as saying by Cricwick.
Rauf did return to play for Pakistan in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand, where he took seven wickets in four games at an average of 23 and an economy rate of 10.61.
He will now play for the Lahore Qalandars in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), which starts on February 17.
Lahore Qalandars Squad for PSL 9: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, David Wiese, Sikandar Raza, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Mirza Tahir Baig, Rashid Khan (reserved), Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Sahibzada Farhan, Muhammad Imran Jnr., Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Dan Lawrence (partially available), Jahandad Khan, Syed Faridoun Mahmood, Shai Hope, Kamran Ghulam, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Tayyab Abbas