BBL 13: Haris Rauf joins Melbourne Stars

Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf on Sunday joined Melbourne Stars to participate in the Big Bash League (BBL) season 13 as he was granted the No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with some delay.

The announcement was made by Melbourne Starts on X, formerly Twitter, saying, "Look who’s here."

The 30-year-old fast bowler attended the family day in Melbourne where other players of the squad, namely Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell, were also present.

Pakistan's spinner Usama Mir is already a part of the Melbourne Stars. Imad Wasim is also part of the team but he hasn't travelled as of yet.

There were speculations that the 30-year-old would not be granted the NOC as he refused to play the three-match Test series against Australia.

Haris has been under severe criticism from all sides after Chief Selector Wahab Raiz announced that he has decided to pull out of the Australia tour.

Wahab highlighted that Haris had concerns about whether he would have fitness issues if he partook in the tour.

"We have tried facilitating him in every way. Even if he failed in this tour, I was ready to accept it. Our fitness consultant told us that he [Rauf] would not have any issues moving forward."

"We could have managed the issues [...] but he pulled out at the last moment. I believe this will be a set back to Pakistan," the chief selector explained.

Earlier, Melbourne Stars announced that it has introduced a designated seating area called "Pakistan Bay" on level 1 of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), an area that promises a unique and thrilling experience for cricket enthusiasts.

It also unveiled an exclusive membership called the "House of Rauf" for the BBL 13, which brings an unparalleled fan experience and allows fans to witness the exciting action live from "Pakistan Bay."

Melbourne Stars and the MCG aim to create a memorable experience for fans with the introduction of Pakistan Bay and the House of Rauf membership.

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