By The PCB terminated Haris Rauf’s central contract and barred him from playing in any foreign league until 30 June 2024 due to his refusal to tour Australia for Tests. Rauf had initially consented but later changed his mind, citing concerns about his fitness and workload, which left Pakistan with an inexperienced pace attack for the Australia tour. Pakistan lost the Test series 3-0.
The PCB conducted a thorough hearing process and found Rauf’s response unsatisfactory, leading to the termination of his contract from 1 December 2023. The board stated that playing for Pakistan is the ultimate honor and refusal to be part of the Test squad without a medical report or justifiable reason is a violation of the central contract.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Hafeez and PCB have parted ways, months after he was appointed as the Team Director. Hafeez oversaw a Test whitewash in Australia and a 4-1 defeat in a T20I series in New Zealand. The PCB thanked Hafeez for his contributions, but there were reports of him not being popular in the team due to his lengthy meetings and lectures. Hafeez had also faced criticism for his comments about pitch conditions and umpiring decisions during his tenure.
