Haris Rauf's Central Contract Terminated By PCB, NOCs Denied For Foreign Leagues

The Pakistan Cricket Board has ended fast bowler Haris Rauf's central contract after the pacer withdrew from Pakistan's recently concluded Test series in Australia.

Haris Rauf's central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was terminated on February 15 (Thursday), following his refusal to join the national team for the recent Test series against Australia in December-January last year. The PCB conducted an investigation into the matter before reaching this decision.

In December last year, Haris Rauf had communicated that he was not fit enough to participate in the Test series for Pakistan, citing his lack of readiness for the red-ball format after a challenging outing in the ODI World Cup in India. 

The dissatisfaction from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stemmed from the fact that Haris Rauf did not provide any medical report or justifiable reason before deciding to opt out of the red-ball series, which ultimately resulted in Pakistan losing the series 0-3.

No NOC To Play In Any Foreign League For Haris Rauf

The termination of the central contract came with an additional blow, as the PCB declared that Haris Rauf would not be issued any No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in any foreign franchise league until June.

"After a thorough hearing process conducted by a PCB committee and taking into consideration the views of all stakeholders involved in the matter, Haris' central contract has been terminated from December 1, 2023, and no NOC (No objection certificate) to play any foreign league will be granted up to June 30, 2024," the PCB said in a press release.

The PCB justified their decision by stating that the committee had given the 30-year-old fast bowler an opportunity to present his case for missing the Test series, but his response was deemed unsatisfactory. The board emphasised that playing for Pakistan is a significant honour and privilege, and refusing to participate without a valid reason amounts to a violation of the central contract.

"The PCB management provided a chance for a personal hearing to Haris in compliance with the principles of natural justice on 30 January 2024 and his response was found unsatisfactory. The PCB states that playing for Pakistan is the ultimate honour and privilege for any sportsperson. Refusal to be part of Pakistan's Test squad in the absence of any medical report or justifiable reason is a material violation of the central contract," the release added further.