“Reason: King Kohli”- Netizens mock Haris Rauf after his central contract gets terminated by PCB for not prioritizing national duty

Haris Rauf was criticized by fans and pundits for preferring to play the BBL over Tests.

“Reason: King Kohli”- Netizens mock Haris Rauf after his central contract gets terminated by PCB for not prioritizing national duty

Haris Rauf refused to play the Tests against Australia (Image via ESPN)

Haris Rauf has had a tough few months. He had a disastrous World Cup, conceding 533 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup, the most by any bowler in a single edition of the tournament. He was then in hot water after he refused to play in the Test series with Australia, preferring to play the Big Bash League instead. 

Now the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to terminate his central contract. The PCB released a statement in which they stated it was due to him not committing to the Australia tour. The statement also stated that there was a hearing after Rauf pulled out of the Test series, which he did not attend. 

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Playing for Pakistan is the ultimate honor 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.
Pakistan Cricket Board stated

The PCB claimed that Rauf had confirmed his participation in the series, with his pace being something the team needed. Rauf on the other, claimed he never committed to the series as he wanted to prioritize his fitness for the white-ball matches. 

The PCB has now decided to not approve any NOCs to Rauf till the end of June 2024. This move won’t hurt his chances to play in any other leagues as he will participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and he won’t be able to play in the IPL (as Pakistani players are banned).

Related: Is Haris Rauf’s career in DANGER after he chooses to play BBL over Tests? Chief selector Wahab Riaz clears rumor

Fans credit Virat Kohli for Haris Rauf’s contract being terminated 

Many fans mocked Haris Rauf after his contract was terminated by the PCB. The fans supported the decision, saying no player should give priority to franchise cricket. Meanwhile many joked on how Virat Kohli’s iconic 82* was the reason Rauf’s career has gone “downhill”. 

Haris Rauf
Haris Rauf has a terrible T20I series against New Zealand, conceding 161 runs in 15.1 overs (Image via ESPN)

Check out their reactions: 

https://twitter.com/Adnan_Sardar07/status/1758097639122370602?s=20

Haris Rauf will now play in the Pakistan Super League, where he represents Lahore Qalandars. San Francisco Unicorns, the Major League Cricket side, has also announced that he has been retained for the 2nd MLC. 

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