Haris Rauf has been under fire since he chose to withdraw from Pakistan’s Test series versus Australia in order to concentrate on the BBL. Wasim Akram, the renowned bowler from Pakistan, has recently taken aim at Rauf. The 57-year-old cautioned Rauf to put Test cricket first if he intends to finish his career with a reputation among the finest bowlers from Pakistan.
The former fast bowler said, “In the current era, there are cricketers who specialize in white-ball formats. If Haris Rauf believes he’s not ready for Test cricket, that’s his decision. Test matches require a different level of commitment. You have to bowl spells lasting eight overs, and it’s considered a serious challenge in the world of cricket. It is a big boy’s game.”
Remarkably, Rauf is a T20 specialist and has only participated in one Test match during his career. He added, In T20 you bowl four overs and stand at fine leg. Piece of cake. Test cricket is a long race, and if you want to be remembered as a great of the game, then you have to play red-ball cricket.”
“The last time Pakistan won here was 1995” : Wasim Akram
Even though Pakistan’s match against Australia will be a tough test, Akram cautioned that a win there might greatly increase the Men in Green’s belief going forward. He said, “It’ll be tough, the last time Pakistan won here was 1995. New captain, new management. It will take some time. Ideally this is not the best tour for any young captain or your team to come into. It will be very tough for them … it will be a big test.”
The Pakistan cricket expert added, “I think it’s kind of a blessing in disguise. It’s a tough start for a new captain, but if they do well here, if they can compete with the mighty Australians, that will give them a lot of confidence for future games as well.”