Abdur Rauf Opens Up About Early End to Cricket Career

Former Pakistan fast bowler Abdur Rauf has recently spoken out regarding the circumstances that led to the premature conclusion of his international cricket career. He attributed it to internal politics and a “corrupt system” prevalent within Pakistan’s cricket structure.

In a forthright discussion with a local sports outlet, Rauf, who has played for Pakistan across all cricket formats, explained how his love for the sport was overshadowed by the difficulties of navigating the behind-the-scenes environment.

“My passion drove me to cricket,” Rauf stated. “I was unaware of how to socialize with individuals or handle the existing corrupt elements. My career was cut short and I couldn’t play longer because I didn’t know how to navigate that corrupt environment,” he added.

The right-arm bowler participated in three Test matches, four ODIs, and one T20I for Pakistan between 2007 and 2009.

Despite a notable domestic performance, which included over 148 first-class matches, his time on the international stage was brief.

He asserted that his honest method and unblemished record merited a sustained position in the cricket system, if not as a player, then potentially in another role.

“It should be clear to the public that someone with 150 first-class matches, who has represented the nation internationally in all formats—Tests, ODIs, T20Is—without any allegations of corruption, and who has devoted 20 years to education, should be involved with Pakistan’s cricket system,” he argued.

The 46-year-old suggested his continuous exclusion from Pakistan’s cricket setup is because of the problems he initially encountered a long time ago.

“The simple reason is that I still haven’t joined that group which I first came across back in 1995,” he revealed.