New Delhi, India
Pakistani legend and one of the greatest left-arm seamers, Wasim Akram, shared his views on speedster Haris Rauf opting not to play Test cricket for the country, instead wanting to play the Big Bash League. Rauf, a centrally contracted player, asked the selection committee not to consider him for the three-match Test series against Australia, starting in Perth on December 14.
Newly-appointed chief selector, Wahab Riaz, revealed the conversation between the two, wherein the T20 specialist Rauf opted out of the Test contention at the last minute, citing workload issues. Instead, Rauf expressed his desire to feature in Australia’s premier franchise-based T20 league, for which his NOC got delayed.
Speaking on the same, Akram said Tests are not everyone’s cup of tea. Although he respects Rauf’s decision, Akram added if Haris wants to be remembered among fans, he must play and do well in Tests.
“That’s his decision. He’s a contracted player, so there’s a lot of controversies back home,” Akram told reporters, about Rauf’s decision to skip the Tests.
“There are some white-ball specialist cricketers in this day and age … if he thinks he’s not there as yet, then that’s his call. Test is a big boy’s game at the end of the day. You’ve got to bowl eight-over spells,” the veteran seamer added.
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Considered among the better white-ball bowlers in the country, Rauf has played just one Test thus far, throwing down just 13 overs. He, however, hasn’t shown any interest in playing Test cricket since.
Meanwhile, Akram, known as the Sultan of Swing, lamented that T20 cricket asks for just four overs from a bowler, while the Test is like a marathon, and all those great bowlers over the years have marked their name in history by doing well in this format.
“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, that’s where Test cricket comes in,” Akram said.
Pakistan ready for Australia challenge
Pakistan Team is gearing up for the three-match Test series Down Under.
Having played in a four-day warm-up game in Canberra, Pakistan, under new Test captain – Shan Masood, will aim to break their deadlock and win a Test match in Australia for the first time.