Haris Rauf joins Melbourne Stars for BBL 2023-24

The ace pacer has joined Melbourne Stars for the ongoing BBL season 13 — which began on December 7 and will conclude on January 24 next year.

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 were also present.

Pakistan’s spinner Usama Mir is already a part of the Melbourne Stars.

Earlier, the team announced that it has introduced a designated seating area called “Pakistan Bay” on level 1 of the 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.

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.