Chief Selector Wahab Riaz said on Thursday that he did not come to the selection committee to end fast bowler Haris Rauf’s career.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Riaz said: “The notice has been served to Haris Rauf for violating the central contract.”

Speaking about the possibility of selecting veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik into the national cricket team, Riaz said, “The selection of Shoaib Malik will be considered on the basis of the team formation.”

He made it clear that pacer Naseem Shah, who had to miss the World Cup due to the injury, will not be part of the team for their upcoming tour to New Zealand. “However, Naseem Shah will be fit to play in the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL),” he added.

Riaz underscored the performers on the domestic cricket circuit. “We will consider the players who are performing, like Ahmed Shehzad and Sahibzada Farhan.”

– PCB removes Salman Butt –

Few days back, Riaz clarified the status of Salman Butt’s involvement with the team and addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding his potential appointment.

Riaz highlighted that Salman Butt did not partake in the team selection process for the upcoming tour of Australia. Contrary to the circulating reports, Butt's participation in the decision-making for the tour was absent, indicating his non-involvement in the selection proceedings.

Further shedding light on the situation, Riaz affirmed that while Butt’s appointment had been under consideration, a firm decision had been reached after thorough deliberation.

The final verdict, as declared by the chief selector, settled on not appointing Salman Butt as a consultant member, thereby ending the speculation surrounding Butt's potential role within the PCB.