'Haris Rauf Should Have Played Tests Instead Of BBL,' Afridi After Pakistan Lose 2nd Test Vs Australia

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi believes that pacer Haris Rauf should have been part of the team playing against Australia in the ongoing Test series rather than participating in the Big Bash League (BBL). Rauf opted out of the series to manage his workload but is playing in the BBL 2023 for the Melbourne Stars.

Taking Rauf's pace and skills into account, Afridi feels the bowler might have contributed significantly in the present situation. Due to injury, Naseem Shah of Pakistan is also out from the series, leaving Shaheen Afridi as the only front-line pacer with significant international experience. Afridi also says Rauf would have enjoyed the challenge of bowling on Australian-prepared fields in Perth and Melbourne.

"I think Haris [Rauf] should be part of this side instead rather than [the BBL]. In these conditions, the kind of pace he has, he would have performed well and enjoyed himself on the kinds of pitches Australia prepared in Perth and here," Afridi, speaking to media at the MCG, said. ('Team India Don't Win Anything,' Former England Captain Slams Rohit Sharma And Co After Defeat Against South Africa In 1st Test)

An iconic @StarsBBL moment 

Before the Border Bash, take a look back on Haris Rauf's incredible hat-trick against the Thunder at the 'G. #BBL13 pic.twitter.com/TJAb84ldSt  KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 23, 2023

Afridi stated that he thought Shaheen Afridi was not suffering from an injury even though he was playing less aggressively. He underlined again how crucial it is for Pakistan to concentrate on developing depth in their cricket team as opposed to depending just on individual.

"I've never got the impression that Shaheen has an injury. If you're injured, you can't play as a fast bowler. He knows his responsibility and how important he is to the team. The fast bowlers… we are expecting a lot from them because they've done well in the past. Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen etc., have performed so well we expect them to perform in every match. Relentless consistency is challenging in cricket." (WATCH: Babar Azam's Playful Banter With Steve Smith Adds Comic Relief To Australia's Dominant Victory)

"I have always said that unless our bench is strong, we won't be able to make the best decisions. The A team should be as strong as the main team, so if Shaheen or Babar or Rizwan aren't strong, we shouldn't have the excuses of players being unavailable, like we do with Naseem now. When our bench is strong, we will no longer have excuses."