Melbourne Stars axe Haris Rauf for derby against the Renegades
Melbourne Stars have dropped in-form Pakistani paceman for the derby against the Renegades but for Haris Rauf the future still remains bright for later in the BBL competition.
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The man under fire for a throat-cutting celebration has suffered that fate at selection, although Melbourne Stars’ find of the summer should be back to try to bowl the green team to a maiden title.
Pakistan quick Haris Rauf has been omitted for Saturday night’s derby against Melbourne Renegades but he won’t have to compete with Englishman Pat Brown or South African Dale Steyn for a place in the attack come finals time.
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Steyn departs after the derby and his replacement, 21-year-old Brown, has been selected in England’s ODI and T20 squads for February’s white-ball series against South Africa.
Playing SuperCoach BBL? Here’s who you could trade Rauf to in Round 6!
Big Bash clubs can pick only two international players in the XI and so Rauf, 26, looms as the man to partner Nepalese tweaker Sandeep Lamichhane when the stakes are raised.
Rauf — plucked from grade cricket in Hobart because Steyn was unfit for the first game — has broken the BBL record for most wickets after three games, taking 10.
Cricket Victoria’s BBL manager Nick Cummins joined from Cricket Tasmania last month and alerted the Stars that Rauf was available, and list manager Trent Woodhill swooped on the IT student who played in the last Pakistan Super League.
At 4-1 the Stars need just three wins from their final nine games to play finals for the eighth time in nine seasons.
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“(Rauf) ticks all the boxes,” Steyn, who is Rauf’s idol, said.
“He bowls fast, he bowls rapid, he bowls straight, he’s got good skill, he swings the ball when it’s new, he reverses it when it’s a bit old and he’s got a good change of pace.
“He came out of nowhere.”
Ironically, Rauf will sit on the sidelines tonight and yet he is exactly what Renegades need. The red team’s imports — English quicks Harry Gurney (3-141) and Richard Gleeson (2-150) — have been taken apart this season. Both imports have conceded more than 10 runs per over.
Gurney missed Thursday’s loss to Sydney Sixers to attend his brother’s wedding in the UK.
Stars death bowler Marcus Stoinis has not bowled since November due to injury, but is close to rolling the arm over and medicos will decide at the MCG tonight whether he is fit to resume in the derby.
The Melbourne Stars today made a late change to the 13-player squad for its match against the Melbourne Renegades tonight at the MCG.
Jono Merlo replaces Hilton Cartwright, who is still recovering from injury.
Playing SuperCoach BBL? Here’s who you could trade Rauf to in Round 6!
STEYN LAUDS MAXWELL CAPTAINCY
Glenn Maxwell is “three steps ahead of anybody else” and his creative captaincy resembles the great AB de Villiers, teammate Dale Steyn says.
South African legend Steyn — who exits the Big Bash after Saturday night’s Melbourne derby — said Maxwell’s “magnificent mind” was a key reason the green team had jumped to the top of the ladder.
“You’ve got to keep your eye on him on the field — he wants to make changes almost every ball,” Steyn said.
“He’s three steps ahead of anybody else. He’s a bit of a visionary when it comes to the game, much like AB is.
“They kind of think about the game in a way that many others don’t. You’ve got to keep your eye on him because he’s continually waving down people.”
Maxwell took over the captaincy last summer and led the Stars from rock bottom to the Big Bash final in his first season. The Stars are often slow starters, but at 4-1 are enjoying their best start to a season since going 8-0 during the group stage in 2013-14.
“It’s a good experience to play under him, too,” Steyn said.
“I like playing under different captains and seeing how they like to structure and use players.
“It’s the first time in my career I’ve bowled one-over spells. When the captain comes to you and he’s got this belief in you that you can do anything it does fill you up with a lot of confidence.”