Haris Rauf of Lahore Qalandars has been ruled out of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) after dislocating his shoulder in yesterday night’s defeat to Karachi Kings, the team announced on Sunday.
According to the franchise’s press statement, Haris landed on his shoulder in the 20th over while completing a catch to dismiss Kings’ Hasan Ali.
“Despite the injury, he walked off with his arm strapped and underwent scans. Rauf had an exceptional performance, bowling the most economical four overs last night, conceding 22 runs with one wicket, playing a crucial role in the final over to pull the game,” the Qalandars said.
It went on to claim that after consultation, the medical panel determined that Haris would require four to six weeks to recover, causing him to miss the PSL season.
According to the press release, Team Director Sameen Rana stated that Haris was an important component to the team’s bowling attack, and his absence will be regretted.
“It’s not a major injury or any broken bone, but considering him as a valuable asset for Pakistan, we didn’t want to risk his national prospects. Lahore Qalandars remain determined and focused on delivering strong performances in the remaining PSL matches,” he said.
Meanwhile, Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi said the team was devastated by Haris’ injury, and it was difficult to watch him miss out because he had been a pillar of strength for their team.
“His absence will be felt,” Shaheen said.
“It’s indeed a setback for the franchise, but he is also Pakistan’s main bowler, and with a lot of cricket coming up, a pragmatic approach was to give him maximum time to recover,” Shaheen said, adding that he wished the pacer a speedy recovery and we eagerly await his return to the field.
“Our thoughts and support are with him during this challenging time,” he added.
It should be noted that the Pakistan Cricket Board cancelled Haris’ core contract earlier this month following an investigation into his alleged unwillingness to join Pakistan’s Test squad for the trip of Australia in 2023-24.
Last November, chief selector Wahab Riaz stated that Haris had refused to participate in the Test tour of Australia, telling selectors that he preferred to focus on white ball cricket to manage his workload.
“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 cricket board said.
