There has been the palpable sense of pacer Haris Rauf’s absence in the Pakistan’s team that is touring Australia for the three-match Test series. Pakistan have already been put on the back foot by Australia by coming out winner in the first game. Ahead of Pakistan’s tour of Australia, Haris Rauf had stood down from the test squad citing workload management. Rauf carries the boisterous pace in his spell which could have proved to be lethal against Australia, but Rauf played the Big Bash League matches as Pakistan embarked on the Test journey against Australia.

In the first Test game, there was huge turn and incredible bounce that aided fast bowlers a lot, but Pakistan’s pace unit was not in that amount of great pace. Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has asserted that Haris Rauf should have been playing Test rather than being in BBL. 

“I think Haris [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 said while speaking to Media at MCG. 

Shahid Afridi also stressed on the dire need to strengthen Pakistan’s bench strength and have a A team as formidable as main team. 

“I have always said that unless our bench is strong we won’t be able to take 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 available, like we do with Naseem now. When our bench is strong, we will no longer have excuses.” 

Touching upon Pakistan’s ongoing second Test match, Pakistan are chasing the target of 317, which appears to be too far to reach for the visitors as they are already seven wicket down with all of their top guns failing to stitch a match-winning partnership.