Mohammad Hafeez is scheduled to hold a press conference in Lahore ahead of the Pakistan team’s departure to Australia, and it is understood light on Haris Rauf’s situation will also be shed.
Haris Rauf’s involvement at the BBL is set to hit a snag, with the Pakistan Cricket Board expected to delay the No-Objection Certificate he requires to participate in the league. Many sources state that Rauf’s NOC is almost certain to be delayed until at least December 11, four days after the BBL begins. There is no confirmation that it will be issued immediately after.
The PCB expects that the 30 year old pacer to play in the National T20 Cup until December 10, which is the official reason for the delay. Wahab Riaz, Pakistan’s recently appointed chief selector, announced last week that Rauf had declined to play in Pakistan’s Test series in Australia in December and January.
Although both parties dispute the exact sequence of events leading up to that point, Wahab has significant influence over which players are issued NOC’s and when, and there is currently no guarantee that this standoff will be resolved amicably.
It was initially thought that Haris Rauf would only be out of the BBL for the duration of Pakistan’s five-match T20 series in New Zealand in mid-January, but further delays will throw a spanner in the works of that league as well. His absence from the BBL is also expected to cause a stir within the league, especially with Melbourne Stars, who signed the Pakistan fast bowler as a marquee player.
This is particularly true because the BBL and Cricket Australia in general have made great use of Rauf’s availability as a marketing tool this season, with the Melbourne Stars introducing “House of Rauf” Memberships on sale for the first three games at the MCG and Haris Rauf Bay, a designated seating area, as part of a concerted marketing strategy to target their domestic South Asian audience.
Protracted contract negotiations between the PCB and the players hit a snag partly because of disagreements between each party about how many foreign leagues the players would be permitted to play each year. It is understood they settled on two, though participation in any league remained subject to the PCB issuing a NOC. If Rauf’s NOC situation drags on, it may raise concerns about Pakistan’s centrally contracted players in general.
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