What action should PCB take against players who refuse to play for Pakistan and retire from Test/First Class cricket?

[Savak]

We have already seen what excessive amount of T-20 Leagues have done to the likes of Shaheen, Shadab and Rauf. Amir set a dangerous precendent in 2019 when he retired from test cricket at the age of 27 citing workload, fitness issues. The reality is that Pakistani cricketers do not want to put in the hard yards.

BCCI has mandated that all Indian National and Domestic players have to participate in all of India's domestic cricket, IPL and will not be allowed to play any outside leagues, tournaments. PCB may not have the financial muscle to demand exclusitivity but they need to demand that Pakistani players start respecting their domestic cricket structure and any player who refuses to play for Pakistan needs to be stripped of their central contract with immediate effect and also not be issued NOC's for T-20 leagues abroad.

Its about time the PCB establishes a strict precedent to deter others from following suit going forward.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Test cricket is finished. Especially outside of the Big 3. PCB can mandate players to play List A cricket maybe but it will be difficult to convince players to play Test cricket/First class cricket considering the more viable alternatives and especially for guys like Haris Rauf who are never going to be Test bowlers

 

[sweep_shot]

PCB can design the contract in a way that the contracted player will need to be available for all formats.

I guess that can work.

 

[PakEngFan]

In Rauf’s case he hasn’t retired from test but refused to play. In this context he should never be picked to play for Pakistan. I don’t care how good anyone is let alone Haris Rauf.

Playing for Pakistan is a matter of pride not a burden as this mediocre bowler is displaying.

If PCB has any authority they should cancel his big bash contact or not issue an NOC.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Let them retire.

I used to think the same about keeping players in all formats.

If they don't want to play dont force them.

Or make test cricket an attractive proposition.

If one of my kids had the choice between bowling 30 overs in a phatta on Pindi in baking heat with no crowd, or bowling 4 overs in a T20.

I'll tell them to take the T20. So how can I advise someone else to do otherwise?

 

[Savak]

Let them retire.

I used to think the same about keeping players in all formats.

If they don't want to play dont force them.

Or make test cricket an attractive proposition.

If one of my kids had the choice between bowling 30 overs in a phatta on Pindi in baking heat with no crowd, or bowling 4 overs in a T20.

I'll tell them to take the T20. So how can I advise someone else to do otherwise?

Retiring from Test Cricket is very risky. T20 leagues are strictly performance and fitness based. If you don't perform in one season, you either get downgraded or not even picked in other formats. Ultimately playing for your country is what gives you the platform to convince major T20 leagues to go after you.

 

[Major]

Depends on who the bowler is.

If a bowler with only 9 first class games is about to get selected for an Australian tour, plus that bowler got smacked all around in the World Cup, i would want that bowler to be dropped for the Australia tour irrespect of if he pulls out or not. But the condition should be that he shouldnt be running off to play league cricket but to play club cricket or First class/List A to improve himself.

What decision Haris makes will matter now. If he is seen playing Big Bash, than he should be dealt with strictly by not being selected for future games.

 

[Savak]

Test cricket is finished. Especially outside of the Big 3. PCB can mandate players to play List A cricket maybe but it will be difficult to convince players to play Test cricket/First class cricket considering the more viable alternatives and especially for guys like Haris Rauf who are never going to be Test bowlers

The likes of Shadab, Haris Rauf lack of first class experience showed in the Asia Cup and ODI WC. T-20 bowling skills do not work in ODI cricket except at the death, you need test match, first class cricket line/lengths to be effective with the new ball and in the middle overs. PCB needs to stop selections in ODI and Test Cricket based on T-20 leagues and PSL.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

The likes of Shadab, Haris Rauf lack of first class experience showed in the Asia Cup and ODI WC. T-20 bowling skills do not work in ODI cricket except at the death, you need test match, first class cricket line/lengths to be effective with the new ball and in the middle overs. PCB needs to stop selections in ODI and Test Cricket based on T-20 leagues and PSL.

That's why they should play List A cricket . Not necessarily 4 day cricket. You get better in a format by playing that format not other formats.

Test match skills also don't work all the time. Otherwise Mohammad Abbas would have had a decent ODI career . So would Yasir Shah.

Pakistan should make good pitches for Pakistan Cup and insist on selecting for ODIs based on that.

 

[shamaan]

Don't give him NOC.
Drop them from the format they want to play.

 

[deltexas]

Test cricket is finished. Especially outside of the Big 3. PCB can mandate players to play List A cricket maybe but it will be difficult to convince players to play Test cricket/First class cricket considering the more viable alternatives and especially for guys like Haris Rauf who are never going to be Test bowlers

This .. pak and other cricket nations except big 3 need to realize this. Not viable. That's why I think.pak test tour of aus is a.poor choice. Even odis are finished. T20 is the future and I am a test odi fanatic saying this. I think pak cricket is perfectly suited for t20 - on the day individual performances win you games. Pcb should just scrap tests and five day domestics and start a t20 based domestic structure and international format as well..the younger populations have very low attention spans nowadays. Instant maggi noodles is what they want lol

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Haris should only play FC not to break into the test team but for improvement in his bowling. The guy is nowhere near ready to bowl in tests. He will be taken to cleaners by Australians worse than they did him in wc 2023.

 

[Savak]

According to a media report, Rauf never agreed to play the test matches in Australia. He said he wants to utilize the time to rest, recover and focus on improving his white ball performances. Country must come first, the team management had assured him that they would utilize him in a careful manner but he still refused.

 

[MMHS]

I don’t know, who actually wanted Rauf & Shadab for Tedt tours in Australia!!! If Rauf indeed had declined to play Test for PAK in Australia, I believe he has done a better service for PAK cricket.

The problem is with PCB. They need to identify a core of 20-25 cricketers for Test cricket - some of them will be Test specialists (means not much fortune in T20 leagues), but there will be few multi format players …. These players need to be compensated and protected.

Therefore, key is in the contract offered to players (& contract clause will define how many domestic games they must be available- PCB might decide that before a series Shaheen doesn’t need to play for PIA….). At at present conditions, I can’t blame Shadab or Rauf much.

 

[Kianig89]

Thank God Rauf didn't agreed for Test cricket otherwise he might have ended up with double century in 20 odd overs

 

[Stewie]

dont think you can enforce any such thing. If players dont want to play a certain format, you cannot force them to.

The only leverage you have is with central contracts and most such players would probably opt out of them anyway. They will make their living in T 20 leagues.

 

[RidiculousMan]

On Haris's defense. PCB didn't managed workload of our fast bowlers. Naseem is out simply because of mismanagement.

 

[MMHS]

dont think you can enforce any such thing. If players dont want to play a certain format, you cannot force them to.

The only leverage you have is with central contracts and most such players would probably opt out of them anyway. They will make their living in T 20 leagues.

T20 leagues don’t develop players, neither take care of them if they are out of form or injured.

Boards can easily bind players under some clause regarding where & when they can play such leagues or when they should be available for national team and it’s perfectly legal.

Long back, I was sent for an expensive Corporate foreign training for 3/4 weeks & my company paid my salary and had taken care of every expenses, on top of that gave me a hefty meal, accommodation & travel allowance….. but, on one condition - that was for a GIS based project, which had a three years lifecycle & I was bonded to stick to that project end to end (three years from the day of certification). And, even after three years, if I indeed had left the job, I had two more years not to join any competition …. Otherwise, I’ll have to return the entire training cost - still was profitable, as I could double my wage and pay back the due in a year, I decided not to.

My cousin is a PHD in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech, sponsored by NASA & later worked for them for 12 years - entire period, he wasn’t allowed to leave US border including Canada (in fact, he was married to a Toronto based girl whose entire family crossed Niagara border and arranged the marriage at Buffalo). After leaving 12 years, he was paid full 3 years wage to remain incognito and finally was allowed to join an IT firm…. He crossed US border for Canada after 19 years gap!!!!


Take that to cricket as well - an U19 old kid doesn’t have any T20 league value - in a team game, first, he is using the facilities including coaching staffs to develop his game, then playing in domestic leagues to come into limelight, finally making his name after playing for national team or some of the domestic franchise. It’ll the day T20 leagues start to find talents, groom them to top professionals, no one can decline playing for his country.

In soccer, clubs do everything in the player’s lifecycle - they scout at pre-teen age, they put talented kids in their academy, send them to private school, give them proper nutrition, treatment/medication, even pay parents (give jobs) to accompany the players during their teenage, and finally pay those players in every week, more than what his national team would pay him in his entire career (for example, Hary Kane is on €500K+/Week, which excludes his earnings from Bayern’s endorsements, media rights and participation money ….. and he can get up-to £2500/game for England …. That’s about 170 games to match one week base wage from Bayern)….

Still, you’ll never hear top soccer players to skip international games unless injured - because, FIFA/UEFA has balls, while ICC is hizra.

 

[Stewie]

T20 leagues don’t develop players, neither take care of them if they are out of form or injured.

Boards can easily bind players under some clause regarding where & when they can play such leagues or when they should be available for national team and it’s perfectly legal.

Long back, I was sent for an expensive Corporate training for 3/4 weeks & my company paid my salary and had taken care of every expenses, on top of that gave me a hefty meal, accommodation & travel allowance….. but, on one condition - that was for a GIS based project, which had a three years lifecycle & I was bonded to stick to that project end to end (three years from the day of certification). And, even after three years, if I indeed had left the job, I had two more years not to join any competition …. Otherwise, I’ll have to return the entire training cost.

My cousin is a PHD in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech, sponsored by NASA & later worked for them for 12 years - entire period, he wasn’t allowed to leave US border including Canada (in fact, he was married to a Toronto based girl whose entire family crossed Niagara border and arranged the marriage at Buffalo). After leaving 12 years, he was paid full 3 years wage to remain incognito and finally was allowed to join an IT firm…. He crossed US border for Canada after 19 years gap!!!!


Take that to cricket as well - an U19 old kid doesn’t have any T20 league value - in a team game, first, he is using the facilities including coaching staffs to develop his game, then playing in domestic leagues to come into limelight, finally making his name after playing for national team or some of the domestic franchise. It’ll the day T20 leagues start to find talents, groom them to top professionals, no one can decline playing for his country.

In soccer, clubs do everything in the player’s lifecycle - they scout at pre-teen age, they put talented kids in their academy, send them to private school, give them proper nutrition, treatment/medication, even pay parents (give jobs) to accompany the players during their teenage, and finally pay those players in every week, more than what his national team would pay him in his entire career (for example, Hary Kane is on €500K+/Week, which excludes his earnings from Bayern’s endorsements, media rights and participation money ….. and he can get up-to £2500/game for England …. That’s about 170 games to match one week base wage from Bayern)….

Still, you’ll never hear top soccer players to skip international games unless injured - because, FIFA/UEFA has balls, while ICC is hizra.

We are talking apples and oranges. it does not matter what enhances players skills. What matters is what boards can enforce or are willing to enforce and what players personally prefer to do.

There will always be players who understand the game enough to know the value of playing th\e longer formats. The Australians and English players are particulary good at saying eff all to everything else for country duty and it shows in their game. Look at Cummins. Then there are others who would prefer to say F all to everything excep franchise cricket.

An inept board like PCB cannot enforce any policies. Our board is the one that schedules two test series in the first place and now non existent ODIs, the entire focus is on T20 cricket. So what would you expect? It is a shame if you ask me. But realistically, our board does not pay enough money to domestic players to bind them. There is just not enough financial security in it for the players.

 

[MMHS]

We are talking apples and oranges. it does not matter what enhances players skills. What matters is what boards can enforce or are willing to enforce and what players personally prefer to do.

There will always be players who understand the game enough to know the value of playing th\e longer formats. The Australians and English players are particulary good at saying eff all to everything else for country duty and it shows in their game. Look at Cummins. Then there are others who would prefer to say F all to everything excep franchise cricket.

An inept board like PCB cannot enforce any policies. Our board is the one that schedules two test series in the first place and now non existent ODIs, the entire focus is on T20 cricket. So what would you expect? It is a shame if you ask me. But realistically, our board does not pay enough money to domestic players to bind them. There is just not enough financial security in it for the players.

You didn’t understand my point. Question was can a board block a player from playing in random leagues or not - legally or ethically.

My point was - they can, because they are developing the players & bringing them to limelight. If a cricket board invests 5-6 years to develop a player, they certainly can enjoy some exclusivity rights.

Now, what PCB will do or can do is different- long back, long long back before these T20 franchise leagues, top PAK players like Akram or WY played every bit of rubbish - from HongKong sixer to Kenya double wicket to exhibition games in Dhaka.

 

[saqib.rai]

We have already seen what excessive amount of T-20 Leagues have done to the likes of Shaheen, Shadab and Rauf. Amir set a dangerous precendent in 2019 when he retired from test cricket at the age of 27 citing workload, fitness issues. The reality is that Pakistani cricketers do not want to put in the hard yards.

BCCI has mandated that all Indian National and Domestic players have to participate in all of India's domestic cricket, IPL and will not be allowed to play any outside leagues, tournaments. PCB may not have the financial muscle to demand exclusitivity but they need to demand that Pakistani players start respecting their domestic cricket structure and any player who refuses to play for Pakistan needs to be stripped of their central contract with immediate effect and also not be issued NOC's for T-20 leagues abroad.

Its about time the PCB establishes a strict precedent to deter others from following suit going forward.

Logically whatever you have written makes sense
Logically, we should NOT have gone to the World Cup as well when India had refused to come. But thankfully we went and got the ICC share- money that is vital in sustaining the cricketing ecosystem in our country.

We don't live in a vacuum
Haris is irrelevant but bowlers like Shaheen and Naseem are generational talents that need to be protected. We need them more than they need us with so many leagues happening.

When a player retires like Amir has, the board is OBLIGED to issue NOCs for different leagues. You cannot stop someone from earning their bread and butter- and the player might go to court over this and win.

Comparison with India is irrelevant. Even average local cricketers in the IPL get a million dollars. Platinum category in PSL pays a quarter of that to Babar, Shaheen, Rizwan, Naseem.

Best solution is:
- Give lucrative central contracts
- And a clause which permits only 2 leagues INCLUDING PSL

Something that the board has done. Kudos to them.

Also white ball and red ball contracts should be separate. Then this Haris Rauf case won't have happened in the first place as he wouldn't have a red ball contract.

 

[Stewie]

Logically whatever you have written makes sense
Logically, we should NOT have gone to the World Cup as well when India had refused to come. But thankfully we went and got the ICC share- money that is vital in sustaining the cricketing ecosystem in our country.

We don't live in a vacuum
Haris is irrelevant but bowlers like Shaheen and Naseem are generational talents that need to be protected. We need them more than they need us with so many leagues happening.

When a player retires like Amir has, the board is OBLIGED to issue NOCs for different leagues. You cannot stop someone from earning their bread and butter- and the player might go to court over this and win.

Comparison with India is irrelevant. Even average local cricketers in the IPL get a million dollars. Platinum category in PSL pays a quarter of that to Babar, Shaheen, Rizwan, Naseem.

Best solution is:
- Give lucrative central contracts
- And a clause which permits only 2 leagues INCLUDING PSL

Something that the board has done. Kudos to them.

Also white ball and red ball contracts should be separate. Then this Haris Rauf case won't have happened in the first place as he wouldn't have a red ball contract.

I would actually go in a totally different direction. If I lead the PCB, I would prioritize first class cricket and make it more competitive and pay first class cricketers more.

If this world cup proved anything to us, its the value ot playing the longer version of theg ame actually benefits us. if players hone their skills more playing first class cricket, the white ball perfoemances will automatically improve.

 

[saqib.rai]

I would actually go in a totally different direction. If I lead the PCB, I would prioritize first class cricket and make it more competitive and pay first class cricketers more.

If this world cup proved anything to us, its the value ot playing the longer version of theg ame actually benefits us. if players hone their skills more playing first class cricket, the white ball perfoemances will automatically improve.

We have 16 teams now
With many undeserving players playing first class cricket.

That would be money wasted.

White ball needs differentiation. Between ODI and t20

West Indies are 2 time winners of the t20 World Cup. Because their players are legends of the format. If all their players show availability, no team can beat them in t20 still BUT have a weak FC system.

ODI is a dead format. Cant see it sustaining after the 2031 World Cup.

PSL will give us players for the t20 format. With franchises having talent hunts- so a strong domestic isn't necessarily required.

As for test matches, we need a strong FC system. That is why I advocated having different central contracts for white ball and red ball. If you do well in FC- get picked for the national team and then you can earn good money via the red ball central contract.

 

[PakFan2010]

Shadab and Rauf should have their NOCs blocked for the Big Bash.

 

[ElRaja]

rauf never wanted to play test cricket in the first place, he has no interest in the format, and pbly didnt retire because he didnt want to be in the news like amir.

rauf is still important for t20is, wahab looks like hell be another unprofessional mouth runner, the future is not bright for Pakistan.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

This .. pak and other cricket nations except big 3 need to realize this. Not viable. That's why I think.pak test tour of aus is a.poor choice. Even odis are finished. T20 is the future and I am a test odi fanatic saying this. I think pak cricket is perfectly suited for t20 - on the day individual performances win you games. Pcb should just scrap tests and five day domestics and start a t20 based domestic structure and international format as well..the younger populations have very low attention spans nowadays. Instant maggi noodles is what they want lol

ODIs had massive viewing numbers this World Cup and even bilateral ODIs generate more interest than bilateral Tests almost everywhere with the exception of England and Australia .

 

[Savak]

PCB should think about a PSL ODI tournament every year to ensure our top players play a high quality competitive ODI tournament with the best possible players. This is vital especially given the massive reduction in ODI cricket for Pakistan.

 

[saqib.rai]

PCB should think about a PSL ODI tournament every year to ensure our top players play a high quality competitive ODI tournament with the best possible players. This is vital especially given the massive reduction in ODI cricket for Pakistan.

Who would own the teams?
Corporates wouldn't

As there will be minimal viewership and no eye balls.

Players wouldn't get paid much. No foreign player will be interested.

We have such a tournament called the Pakistan Cup

 

[Stewie]

We have 16 teams now
With many undeserving players playing first class cricket.

That would be money wasted.

White ball needs differentiation. Between ODI and t20

West Indies are 2 time winners of the t20 World Cup. Because their players are legends of the format. If all their players show availability, no team can beat them in t20 still BUT have a weak FC system.

ODI is a dead format. Cant see it sustaining after the 2031 World Cup.

PSL will give us players for the t20 format. With franchises having talent hunts- so a strong domestic isn't necessarily required.

As for test matches, we need a strong FC system. That is why I advocated having different central contracts for white ball and red ball. If you do well in FC- get picked for the national team and then you can earn good money via the red ball central contract.

how will it be wasted if you make the domestic structure more competitive?

I think it needs to be tiered with only top tier division with smaller number of teams and their players with lucrative contracts.
others should be allowed to raise their game and view for making the top division. and once there, the board can give them higher benefits/pay for subsequent season so they can try and stay in that division.

I think it will be worth it and will raise the level of their game. rather than giving out central contracts just to international players, I think this could help us make our domestic structure more competitive.

 

[saqib.rai]

how will it be wasted if you make the domestic structure more competitive?

I think it needs to be tiered with only top tier division with smaller number of teams and their players with lucrative contracts.
others should be allowed to raise their game and view for making the top division. and once there, the board can give them higher benefits/pay for subsequent season so they can try and stay in that division.

I think it will be worth it and will raise the level of their game. rather than giving out central contracts just to international players, I think this could help us make our domestic structure more competitive.

Valid point BUT again as you mentioned
There needs to be a division system for this to happen

Don't have enough money to pay
16 teams × 20 players in each team
Handsome money
When we know many players currently playing first class are non deserving

 

[gibsyhesperis]

This thread seems to have been intimated because of the Rauf situation.
It touches on the broader issue of player power in the age of multiple leagues — if players are not accommodated they will simply become free agrents and ply their trade around the world.

Howver, in Rauf’s case he is not good enough and will never be a Test bowler.
He is a T20 speedster who can manage four overs and then disappear.
He barely put together ten overs in the World Cup — does anyone really imagine him putting together three spells in Perth when Head and Warner are going after him ?

 

[jibranansarisahab]

First of all on what basis was Rauf even getting selected for test cricket. I would love to hear haris raufs version of things as well. When was the last time rauf played an FC game? Is he even test ready?
This is question mark on the selectors' wisdom. Whats next? Play zaman khan in test cricket?
Naseem shah is already out of favor.

 

[Savak]

Who would own the teams?
Corporates wouldn't

As there will be minimal viewership and no eye balls.

Players wouldn't get paid much. No foreign player will be interested.

We have such a tournament called the Pakistan Cup

The ODI WC had solid viewership.

The Pakistan Cup is a domestic tournament.

No harm in floating an idea and seeing what the position in the market is.

 

[Stewie]

Valid point BUT again as you mentioned
There needs to be a division system for this to happen

Don't have enough money to pay
16 teams × 20 players in each team
Handsome money
When we know many players currently playing first class are non deserving

why is it so hard to understand.

You can have a divisional structure with only the top teams and their players getting the most of the financial benefits. Keep the number to 5/6 teams, no more than that.

The rest of the teams can play in lower divisions and should act as the feeders for the top division. Their compensation packages will not be as high as the top division. It should be a simple concept to understand.

In fact turn it into a domestic franchise model. lets corporations sponsor the top teams and let them pick their players and they can pay them higher amounts. I know they might not get much ROI because who watches domestic first class cricket but its a thought.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Is the Australia tour clashing with Big Bash?

Hopefully PCB will not give NOC to Haris I want rest Rauf.

 

[kron]

Haris started off in tape ball t20 cricket. Cmon. Give him a break. He is right. He can't play tests. Focus on odi and t20.

 

[deltexas]

ODIs had massive viewing numbers this World Cup and even bilateral ODIs generate more interest than bilateral Tests almost everywhere with the exception of England and Australia .

But those numbers would be ind audience. Any odi WC they will have 4 weak teams with one side matches mostly. This year it was neth sl b.desh afg. Afg played well yes but that's the exception. So these 4 teams have 30 out of 45 games total and most of them one sided
Plu6an odi is also long it gets boring. T20 even if it's one sided finishes quickly and you can have 2 weak team games a day..

 

[chinaman00]

Quite simple, really:

1. Increase the pay for Test Cricket players significantly, compensating them for potential revenue loss due to not participating in T20 matches. Make it mandatory for players to be available for Test and ODI cricket to be eligible for a central contract. Maintain the prestige of Test Cricket.

2. Aggressively use the NOC card to restrict players from participating in foreign T20 leagues. Ensure that national team selections are based on performances in domestic leagues other than T20.

3. Enforce a rule where if a player withdraws from a tournament for reasons other than emergencies, they should be prohibited from participating in the PSL in the following season.

Allowing players to pick and choose what tournaments they play is a huge risk and will embolden the current TikTok stars.

 

[chinaman00]

This thread seems to have been intimated because of the Rauf situation.
It touches on the broader issue of player power in the age of multiple leagues — if players are not accommodated they will simply become free agrents and ply their trade around the world.

Howver, in Rauf’s case he is not good enough and will never be a Test bowler.
He is a T20 speedster who can manage four overs and then disappear.
He barely put together ten overs in the World Cup — does anyone really imagine him putting together three spells in Perth when Head and Warner are going after him ?

2 things:

1. Players can’t play any league without NOC from their board. Simple as that. If the PCB doesn’t want Rauf to play another league, they can the power to stop him.

2. The issue isn’t whether Rauf should play test cricket or not, everyone agrees the guy can’t bowl for more than 4-overs a day. It’s about the precedent his decision sets. What if tomorrow Babar, Shaheen and others decide to pick and choose what tournaments they play? It’s a major scandal & I am shocked the PCB is choosing to lament rather than aggressively make an example out of this Rauf guy.

 

[Rana]

2 things:

1. Players can’t play any league without NOC from their board. Simple as that. If the PCB doesn’t want Rauf to play another league, they can the power to stop him.

2. The issue isn’t whether Rauf should play test cricket or not, everyone agrees the guy can’t bowl for more than 4-overs a day. It’s about the precedent his decision sets. What if tomorrow Babar, Shaheen and others decide to pick and choose what tournaments they play? It’s a major scandal & I am shocked the PCB is choosing to lament rather than aggressively make an example out of this Rauf guy.

If they stop Rauf…he will simply retire like Amir did.

He will make enough from PSL and franchise leagues around the world. People seem to forget but he’s still actually one of the best pacers at the death in the world. In reality, Pakistan need him more than Shaheen and Naseem in the upcoming World Cup 2024 because of his death bowling skills.

Wahab quickly ruled out any axing of Rauf in white ball cricket. Just vented his frustration on TV because he must feel aggrieved at a guy giving his commitment and then pulling out last minute.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Isn't the current chief selector the last guy who did that along with Amir last time Pakistan were due to tour Australia.

PCB needs to give players incentives to play Tests. There is currently none, financially or otherwise. Team plays like what, 7-8 Tests in a given year if we are lucky? Even the FC season domestically is like 7 matches because PCB itself doesn't care about Tests, why should the players?

And if you want players to care about Tests and put value in it, then ensure players first get selected by playing a certain amount of matches in FC first instead of selecting whoever is the new flavour of the PSL. Rauf literally got hurt playing in his debut Test match because he is not used to FC rigors & workload of bowling in Tests. If he hasn't done it domestically, how is it realistic to ask bowlers to do that Internationally, especially when all our bowlers are so extremely poorly handled & managed. If the players don't make the decision for them, they would never see any rest. Why is it that every bowler we have turns into dust after a few good years? It's because they get injured due to their workload and the medical staff is so poor, they can't recover either so it makes no sense why Pakistani bowlers would ever put their faith in PCB.

 

[chinaman00]

If they stop Rauf…he will simply retire like Amir did.

He will make enough from PSL and franchise leagues around the world. People seem to forget but he’s still actually one of the best pacers at the death in the world. In reality, Pakistan need him more than Shaheen and Naseem in the upcoming World Cup 2024 because of his death bowling skills.

Wahab quickly ruled out any axing of Rauf in white ball cricket. Just vented his frustration on TV because he must feel aggrieved at a guy giving his commitment and then pulling out last minute.

You are not reading what I wrote.

If PCB decides Rauf can’t play PSL or any other league, he can’t because PCB has the NOC right, even if he retires.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Utilities your players as per their skills. Rauf can never be a test bowler, stop picking him for test tours. Wahab and Aamir himself excused from playing in Australia few years back, now he can't say we expect centrally contracted players to be available for all the tournaments.

Rauf is best for T20s and let him work on that with next WC in june, he is going to be important asset for team in this format.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

But those numbers would be ind audience. Any odi WC they will have 4 weak teams with one side matches mostly. This year it was neth sl b.desh afg. Afg played well yes but that's the exception. So these 4 teams have 30 out of 45 games total and most of them one sided
Plu6an odi is also long it gets boring. T20 even if it's one sided finishes quickly and you can have 2 weak team games a day..

Well it's not just World Cup. There are boards that still want to play ODI cricket in the home season like CSA. Their chief mentioned as much earlier this year as there is quite a lot of interest in ODIs.

They struggle to get audiences for Tests . In fact, that's why they haven't bothered to negotiate more than 2 Tests per series in this WTC cycle.

 

[zulfiqar]

I do think that a player has a right to not play tests, as long as the player understands that selection committee may not select them for ODIs and T20s. As we found out this world cup, we did not have a big enough sample of ODIs from which we could guage a bowler's performance, and so international tests would be the next place to look at for players who are performing well. If Harris doesn't play tests, I would hope he plays 50-over or longer cricket domestically in order to stay fit and in contention for ODIs.

If a player is dropped from ODIs because he did not play tests and did not have domestic performances in the longer format to back-up their merit for selection, then they can't complain. That was the issue with Amir for the most part - he felt that he did not deserve to be dropped from ODIs just because he pulled out of tests, but it makes complete sense since he did not have much domestic performance either to back up his selection. It's another story that we called him up for the 2019 world cup regardless due to not having better options.

 

[zulfiqar]

I do think that a player has a right to not play tests, as long as the player understands that selection committee may not select them for ODIs and T20s. As we found out this world cup, we did not have a big enough sample of ODIs from which we could guage a bowler's performance, and so international tests would be the next place to look at for players who are performing well. If Harris doesn't play tests, I would hope he plays 50-over or longer cricket domestically in order to stay fit and in contention for ODIs.

If a player is dropped from ODIs because he did not play tests and did not have domestic performances in the longer format to back-up their merit for selection, then they can't complain. That was the issue with Amir for the most part - he felt that he did not deserve to be dropped from ODIs just because he pulled out of tests, but it makes complete sense since he did not have much domestic performance either to back up his selection. It's another story that we called him up for the 2019 world cup regardless due to not having better options.

Just to clarify - my point is that ODI selection should primarily be based on performance in ODIs and Tests, or the domestic equivalent. A player's T20 performance (especially for a bowler) should have little weight in ODI selection (especially compared to performance in longer formats).

 

[BouncerGuy]

Aliya Rasheed speaking to media:

“The decision to encourage Haris to play Test matches stems from the belief that players should strive to progress in every aspect of the game, rather than limiting themselves to specific formats,”​

 

[BouncerGuy]

Haris's fitness is not up to the mark for him to play tests. His line and length need a lot of work before he can be considered for red ball format. I wonder why everybody is so rushed to include him in test format?

 

[Marooned]

Put them behind bars

Seriously, you should ask yourself the question why are they retiring from tests to begin with?

It's always the fast bowlers who take retirement never the batters and why not. PCB makes the most ridiculous highway hells at home meant to break fast bowlers backs. Ramiz Raja was dumb/shameless enough to admit he made the pitch to ensure fast bowlers don't get purchase.

With such pathetic mindset of pcb why should a fast bowler even bother? I don't blame them. It's a thankless task.

 

[Marooned]

According to a media report, Rauf never agreed to play the test matches in Australia. He said he wants to utilize the time to rest, recover and focus on improving his white ball performances. Country must come first, the team management had assured him that they would utilize him in a careful manner but he still refused.

Ah yes, god forbid any fastbowler who puts his health in charge of the "management"

It's the "management" that made Naseem, a teenage debutant in Australia bowl the most overs on day 1 till he got injured.

It's the "management" particularly Rameez Raja who rushed the return of Shaheen from injury in last t20 wc.

It's the "management" that picked 3 spinners in SL only to overbowl the pacers because the spinners seemed not to do much.

 

[deltexas]

Haris's fitness is not up to the mark for him to play tests. His line and length need a lot of work before he can be considered for red ball format. I wonder why everybody is so rushed to include him in test format?

Test cricket is done save the big 3. No point in bowling that many overs and get injured with no support structure in place and no financial rewards. For example in a home test against nz - fast bowlers like wasim Jr bowled closed to 40 overs in a single innings and spinners abrar and noman Ali bowled closed to 70 overs each in a single innings. Jeez that's a lot of overs. No wonder they don't to play test cricket. And an aus test tour is a graveyard for pk bowlers! So why take the damn chance at all and just retire from test cricket

 

[FearlessRoar]

The best answer is as Saj said here

https://twitter.com/x/status/1726623315165639055

 

[Savak]

Haris Rauf's PCB contract could be revised after refusing to play Tests in Australia​

Some senior officials in the Pakistan Cricket Board were unhappy at the attitude of Haris, says a reliable source​

Karachi, November 22

Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf faces the risk of being downgraded in his central contract and could also be denied permission to play the Big Bash League after opting out of next month’s three-match Test series in Australia.

A reliable source said that some senior officials in the Pakistan Cricket Board were unhappy at the attitude of Haris and also over the statements made by his Lahore Qalandars coach Aqib Javed, who defended the express pace bowler.


Pakistan’s new chief selector Wahab Riaz hit out at Haris on Monday for first agreeing to be considered for the Tests in Australia before making himself unavailable two days later citing workload and fitness concerns.

Wahab, himself a fast bowler who appeared in three World Cups, made it clear that being a centrally contracted player, Haris should have been available for the Test series.

“I and the Director of Pakistan team, Muhammad Hafeez, we went and spoke to him in detail and told him that both the captain and coach wanted him (Haris) to play in Australia as he was an impact bowler and we assured him he would not bowl more then 10-12 overs in a day in Australia,” Wahab had said at his press conference while announcing the squad for Australia.

“We also spoke to the team physio and trainer and they said Haris had no fitness issues and there would be no problem with him in Australia,” Wahab said.

Hours later sources quoting Haris in the Pakistan media said he had never made himself available for the Tests and had told the selectors he wanted to focus on white ball cricket and manage his workload.

But the source said that the very fact that Haris didn't come out with a denial directly had convinced the senior board officials he was playing games with the board and selectors.

“There has been discussion that if Haris is only focussed on white ball cricket then the central contact given to him also needs to be reviewed since he was placed in category B which carries a monthly retainer of over 4 million rupees plus enhanced match fees, bonuses and a share in the PCB's share of ICC revenues.

“Those players were given top two categories who were considered all format players,” the source said.

He said it could be expected that the board might either ask Haris for his final decision on red ball cricket and revise his contract and the player also has the option of going freelance and returning the central contract to the board like other international players including Trent Bolt, Jason Roy etc.

“A NOC for playing in the Big Bash could also be withheld by the board,” the source added.

The source said that both Hafeez and Wahab had conveyed their disappointment over Haris' attitude to the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf.

Haris played one Test back in December against England in Rawalpindi where he bowled just 13 overs before getting injured.

Link: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/s...er-refusing-to-play-tests-in-australia-564877

 

[Savak]

Fully support the PCB here. They need to stop the players from going the T-20 route.

Players who risk the T-20 route will realize that it is very difficult to be in high demand for T-20 leagues because you have to be consistent throughout every league otherwise these leagues will either ultimately demote you or you will not get picked again as the Franchises are very ruthless in their selections. Hence the security offered by a national central contract is vital.

 

[deltexas]

Fully support the PCB here. They need to stop the players from going the T-20 route.

Players who risk the T-20 route will realize that it is very difficult to be in high demand for T-20 leagues because you have to be consistent throughout every league otherwise these leagues will either ultimately demote you or you will not get picked again as the Franchises are very ruthless in their selections. Hence the security offered by a national central contract is vital.

Again it's all good to take the moral high ground. But as before , what is the answer to this question -
"No point in bowling that many overs and get injured with no support structure in place and no financial rewards. For example in a home test against nz - fast bowlers like wasim Jr bowled closed to 40 overs in a single innings and spinners abrar and noman Ali bowled closed to 70 overs each in a single innings. Jeez that's a lot of overs. No wonder they don't to play test cricket. So why take the damn chance at all and just retire from test cricket.. 40 overs and 70 overs in 1 innings - 1 innings and more in the 2nd innings - more so on the lifeless test pitches. "

 

[zulfiqar]

The best answer is as Saj said here

https://twitter.com/x/status/1726623315165639055

I disagree that players should not be picked in all formats on the principle that they've said they are not available for one format. But it's okay if it affects their contract, and it's okay if it affects their selection. But making a rule like that will only hurt Pakistan cricket I feel. The next thing would be that they bar players from playing leagues around the world - which again I am against. Simple truth is, if they are not going to have a big enough sample size in longer-than-twenty-over formats, it will also become tough to select them in future Test/ODI series. But if they are good enough in T20s, then we should select them even if they chose T20 leagues over test/odi series.

I don't think this will mean that we will become worse in the longer format necessarily. There will be plenty of players who will want to be challenged in test cricket and will be available for selection. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Bewal Express]

Let them do the best for themselves and their families. It's not anyone's business to dictate what they should do or not do when careers are so short and selection is fickle.

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Not much you can do besides hit them where it hurts aka $$$ . Make it a clause that players not available for test will not qualify for a platinum/gold contract by default .

 

[orthodox_spin]

Fully support the PCB here. They need to stop the players from going the T-20 route.

Players who risk the T-20 route will realize that it is very difficult to be in high demand for T-20 leagues because you have to be consistent throughout every league otherwise these leagues will either ultimately demote you or you will not get picked again as the Franchises are very ruthless in their selections. Hence the security offered by a national central contract is vital.

There is no security in the national central contract. It appears that it can be amended and pulled at will.

Harris is not a test bowler and the handling of this by the new selector and so called director of cricket is very unprofessional.

For me, it highlights the PCB’s desperation and the lack of bowling stock that they have. The PCB are at fault here by not producing a stronger bench, allowing players to fudge their age, and not managing their workloads properly.

I would have sympathised with the PCB if they paid players a true market price, however that is not the case here. The PCB has a track record of discarding players and not providing sufficient support for them when injured etc. In fact they didn’t receive pay for 4 months!

You pay for what you get. Also not playing in Australia for tests is probably face saving for Haris

 

[da_don]

As an employee you cannot refuse to show up to work.. players are most welcome to pull an amir and retire early to be free agents

 

[Shaka81]

Why is it always Test cricket fans spoiling for a fight? I don't see anyone saying that because a player is not suited to limited overs cricket they should be forced out of a career in 4-day or 5-day cricket.

Personally if I was a fast bowler with talents more suited to the shorter format, I would never even consider the longer format that's watched by less people, pays less and more likely to lead to injuries and a shorter career. Just because some people think you owe the team something and should develop different skills.

 

[UzmanBeast]

We have already seen what excessive amount of T-20 Leagues have done to the likes of Shaheen, Shadab and Rauf. Amir set a dangerous precendent in 2019 when he retired from test cricket at the age of 27 citing workload, fitness issues. The reality is that Pakistani cricketers do not want to put in the hard yards.

BCCI has mandated that all Indian National and Domestic players have to participate in all of India's domestic cricket, IPL and will not be allowed to play any outside leagues, tournaments. PCB may not have the financial muscle to demand exclusitivity but they need to demand that Pakistani players start respecting their domestic cricket structure and any player who refuses to play for Pakistan needs to be stripped of their central contract with immediate effect and also not be issued NOC's for T-20 leagues abroad.

Its about time the PCB establishes a strict precedent to deter others from following suit going forward.

Who retired with Amir at the same time? The same chief selector sitting on the seat talking about positive steps in cricket. For a person who did not possess the quality to spearhead our bowling line-up much rather be a part of it.

Wahab Riaz should make sure that he has properly observed his surroundings and taken a good look at himself before sitting down and accusing other players.

On what basis should Haris Rauf even be near the test team? The same chief selector harping about prioritizing domestic performers, does Haris Rauf stand miles above bowlers who have been toiling in our FC setup?

There is no logical reason to select Haris Rauf on those Australian tracks. Pace is not the only need in Australia. Hazlewood operates in the low 130kphs but he has the skill and bowling intelligence to use conditions to his advantage. Haris Rauf needs to toil in domestic for 2-3 seasons of FC cricket before he can even be a remote consideration for test cricket.

Wahab needs to open his eyes and look into the domestic circuit to build a talent pool. Even Haris himself knows he is not deserving of a place in the test team.

 

[PakFan2010]

Don't issue a NOC for him and Shadab. Two crap players who let us down in India.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Increase the money for playing test cricket and FC cricket in the contract...

1 test / fc game salary = 8 T20 games
1 test / fc game salary = 4x one day games

then ppl will prioritise FC and test cricket games...

 

[Kianig89]

The lure of T20 leagues cannot be denied and for a cricket nation like Pakistan where already Test cricket is comprised for two reasons
The power of Big 3 has ensured that marquee series remains within big three, second a two month window for IPL also ensures that the elite cricketers apart from big three are also committed in money making so how come the rest of the cricket boards develop interest and build their teams.

Give Pakistan consecutive tours of India England and Australia home and away and see the results will improve drastically.

 

[Barragan]

Every player that wants to play for Pak needs to play FC cricket.

Ban from PSL, if you haven't played any FC games.

They don't have to play Tests, but playing 4 day should be a must.

Let them grind out for 4 days.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

simply ban such players from other formats of cricket too.

 

[ahmadharis1]

No need to take any action. If they choose not to play 4-day cricket then fine, that's their prerogative. Just don't select them for test cricket. Select them only in the formats they play domestic cricket in.

 

[ElRaja]

simply ban such players from other formats of cricket too.

so they'll only play leagues like amir, how does this improve anything?

 

[zarak]

Let them retire.

I used to think the same about keeping players in all formats.

If they don't want to play dont force them.

Or make test cricket an attractive proposition.

If one of my kids had the choice between bowling 30 overs in a phatta on Pindi in baking heat with no crowd, or bowling 4 overs in a T20.

I'll tell them to take the T20. So how can I advise someone else to do otherwise?

What about 15 overs a day on a sporting wicket in Pindi. Test cricket is the only format which will make you a great.

 

[ads101]

The majority of fans don’t watch tests. Which is why there is no money in tests. Very few ever watch first class.

Isn’t there something wrong with the format if we have to force players to play it?

Tests have higher injury rates and lower pay. These sportsmen are providing for their families. It’s a job. Why exactly would these things be more appealing?

Tests need to drastically change. They need to become profitable. You will always have this issue otherwise. People complain about t20s but right now they are probably bankrolling the test format. That’s also why you can’t simply just pay test cricketers more money, it will make it even more reliant on the other formats.

Play cricketers who actually want to play test cricket. That will result in lower talented players playing who can’t get into the LOI teams. But they’ll probably outperform the talented players who don’t bother to train or adapt for tests anyway.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Such players don't deserve to be in the PCT.

 

[greatest]

PCB should simply never grant them an 'A' category contract. They should earn the lowest.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

The only players who need to play for Pakistan are the one s who are committed and available.

Playing for Pakistan is the Pinnacle and an honour and needs to be treated as such.

In future separate white ball T20 and 50 over contracts need to be made alongside tests to stop fiasco s like this occurring.

The problem is the board changes every 5 minutes and the rules as well which makes it difficult for everyone involved.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

Every player that wants to play for Pak needs to play FC cricket.

Ban from PSL, if you haven't played any FC games.

They don't have to play Tests, but playing 4 day should be a must.

Let them grind out for 4 days.

That is not a practical solution bro.

Some players are not suited to the longer format and vice versa.

Its horses for courses.

The best players 4 day players need to play domestic and challenge for a test spot to earn a central contact.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Depends on who the bowler is.

If a bowler with only 9 first class games is about to get selected for an Australian tour, plus that bowler got smacked all around in the World Cup, i would want that bowler to be dropped for the Australia tour irrespect of if he pulls out or not. But the condition should be that he shouldnt be running off to play league cricket but to play club cricket or First class/List A to improve himself.

What decision Haris makes will matter now. If he is seen playing Big Bash, than he should be dealt with strictly by not being selected for future games

But PCB was forced to select him because of Shaheen who is friend of Haris rauf (a nothing bowler)

If getting rid of Haris rauf will be to get rid of Shaheen also then let them do it... No need such players to run and ruin the team env.. need Ijaz Butt here...