BBL 2023/24: Pakistan clears Haris Rauf and Usama Mir to play in Australia

The BBL is set for an influx of big name stars after the Pakistan Cricket Board made a late call – but they are here for a good time not a long time.

Melbourne Stars will unleash Haris Rauf in the Big Bash League’s season opener after he was given the green light by Pakistan.

Rauf and fellow Stars draftee Usama Mir remained in limbo on Monday as they waited for a no-objection certificate to be allowed to join the BBL.

The Pakistan Cricket board confirmed late on Monday night (Australian time) that Rauf, Mir and Sydney Thunder’s Zaman Khan would be allowed to link with their BBL clubs.

“The board has issued the NOCs considering the workload of players and the future tours program of the national men’s team,” the PCB said in a statement.

“The PCB understands that this decision is in the best interests of all the stakeholders involved while balancing the importance of game time with workload management.”

However, Rauf and Mir have only been cleared to play five matches and Zaman allowed to feature in four games.

Pakistan's Haris Rauf has been cleared to join the BBL. Picture: AFP

Leg-spinner Mir was originally expected to be available to the full BBL tournament and finals, while Rauf was tipped to play 6-9 games.

Rauf was criticised by Pakistan selectors recently for opting out of the Test series against Australia to play in the BBL.

Zaman Khan was due to join the Thunder for the entirety of the BBL.

Rauf, who made a name for himself in the BBL after being plucked from Tasmanian club Glenorchy, has been one of the competition’s most destructive bowlers.

He has 30 wickets in 18 matches for the Stars with a strike rate of 12.7.

The Pakistan trio will all have departed the BBL by December 28, leaving both clubs with about three weeks to chase replacements.

Their arrival for the early weeks of the tournament is a boost after the withdrawal of Harry Brook.

Rashid Khan has also been ruled out due to a back injury.

Meanwhile, Brisbane Heat has not ruled Michael Neser out of Thursday’s match against the Stars after he withdrew from the PM’s XI game against Pakistan due to soreness.

The Heat said on Monday Neser’s availability was likely to be a game-day decision.

BBL CLUBS IN LIMBO OVER AUSSIE STARS

Nathan Lyon is doubtful to face his former club the Sydney Sixers at the SCG on Friday night, with the Melbourne Renegades considering leaving the off-spinner out of its XI even if Cricket Australia provides clearance for the “GOAT” to play in the Big Bash League less than six days out from the first Test against Pakistan.

While batters Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are all poised to play in the first round of the BBL before the Australian squad convenes in Perth, Scott Boland has been ruled out of the season-opener on Thursday night despite his Melbourne Stars’ date with the Brisbane Heat coming almost a full week before the first Test starts.

Boland confirmed to this masthead on Monday that he wouldn’t play for the Stars against a Heat team featuring Khawaja and Labuschagne. The Stars were already without Beau Webster and Mark Steketee because of their Prime Minister’s XI commitments, with Boland focusing on his red-ball bowling and managing his workload ahead of the start of a stretch in which Australia plays seven Tests inside three months starting with the Perth clash.

Lyon has himself been nursed since returning from the calf injury that prematurely ended his Ashes campaign.

The game between the Sixers – who did not offer Lyon a contract for this season – and his new club the Renegades had been earmarked months ago as a potential highlight of the early part of the BBL season. It is no secret that broadcasters Fox and Seven have been keen to maximise game time for Australia’s top players in the Twenty20 competition.

But there is uncertainty about Lyon’s involvement for the match on two fronts.

As of Monday lunchtime, the Renegades still hadn’t had confirmation from CA about whether Lyon would be cleared to play against the Sixers in the prime-time clash.

Yet even if given the green light, the Renegades would consider benching Lyon, instead favouring Australian World Cup hero Adam Zampa and Afghanistan tweaker Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

“That’s in Cricket Australia’s hands more than us,” Renegades coach David Saker told this masthead on Monday.

It’s unclear if Nathan Lyon will be available – or even selected – for the opening BBL round. Picture: Getty

“They’ll make a decision on that. You know, we’re going to Sydney first game, we’ve obviously got Zampa and Mujeeb unless the wicket is really dry and we think it needs three spinners, the chances of that happening are pretty slim, especially this time of the year.

“And this year, we just saw the scores in the (Sheffield) Shield game (between NSW and Tasmania) and I’ve talked to a few of the Shield players, it seamed around quite a bit, it was more seam-friendly. We probably wouldn’t go with three spinners anyway. But we still haven’t found out with Cricket Australia whether he’s available anyway.

“It’d probably be Lyono (who misses out.) Mainly because I think if you’re looking at the Sixers batting line-up it’s nearly all right-handers.

“We haven’t had the conversation yet, because we don’t know if he’s available. If he’s not available, we don’t have to worry about it.”

Australian World Cup hero Adam Zampa has also made an off-season switch to the Renegades. Picture: Getty

The availability of key national players in the BBL has been a source of contention, with the timing of the PM’s XI game in particular raising eyebrows with clubs. Khawaja has been among the leading critics, with his Heat losing Matt Renshaw and Michael Neser to the game, albeit Neser has since been withdrawn due to a calf complaint, replaced in the PM’s XI squad by South Australia’s Jordan Buckingham.

BBL BLOW AS DRAWCARD DE KOCK OUT OF OPENING GAMES

By Tim Michell

Another of the Big Bash League’s major drawcards has been ruled out of the opening round of the tournament.

Melbourne Renegades have confirmed South African superstar Quinton de Kock is expected to miss the opening two games of the BBL while he completes duties at the Abu Dhabi T10 league.

The Renegades said on Sunday night they were aware of de Kock’s T10 commitments when he was drafted.

The news comes after English Ashes hero Harry Brook (Melbourne Stars) withdrew from BBL13 due to workload concerns and Rashid Khan (Strikers) was ruled out due to injury.

South Africa's Quinton de Kock is out of the first two rounds of BBL. Picture: AFP

It is likely de Kock misses matches on December 8 and 10 before debuting for the Renegades on December 21 against Brisbane Heat.

The final of the T10 competition is on December 10, three days after the BBL starts.

De Kock’s Delhi Bulls were top of the table as of Sunday night.

De Kock was one of the leading run-scorers at the ODI World Cup, finishing with 594 runs as South Africa reached the semi-finals.

His absence will likely give Renegades captain Nic Maddinson the chance to open the batting alongside Englishman Joe Clarke.

Maddinson is in line to play his first BBL match since suffering an ACL injury last summer after making a successful return for his club side St Kilda.

He has also featured in BBL warm-up matches in recent days.

Jake Fraser-McGurk, who cracked a 29-ball Marsh Cup ton earlier this summer and a Sheffield Shield hundred against Victoria this week, could also bat in the top three.

The Renegades’ two other imports – Mujeeb ur Rahman and Clarke – will feature against Sydney Sixers on December 8.

There has been a flurry of local signings in recent days as clubs rush to lock in their squads, including Fergus O’Neill (Renegades), Corey Rocchichioli (Stars) and young quick Mitch Perry joining Sydney Sixers.

The Scorchers have also confirmed opening batter Steve Eskinazi as their third overseas signing.

Originally published as BBL 2023/24: Pakistan clears Haris Rauf and Usama Mir to play in Australia