Former Pakistan fast bowler Yasir Arafat has voiced his concerns over the impact of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on the country’s cricket. In a recent interview, Arafat claimed that the T20 league has negatively influenced players’ attitudes toward Test cricket, with many now preferring shorter formats. His comments come after Pakistan’s unexpected Test series defeat to Bangladesh.

Arafat believes that player agents and short-term financial deals are to blame for the shift in focus. “The Pakistan Super League has damaged Pakistan cricket. Players are not willing to play Test cricket anymore,” he said.

In addition, Arafat criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for poor workload management, using Shaheen Afridi as an example. He suggested that Afridi’s form had dipped due to being pushed into international cricket too early.

Arafat also highlighted how countries like India, Australia, and England manage their players’ workloads and urged the PCB to follow their example to safeguard player health and long-term performance.

It’s worth noting that the PCB had recently denied No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to several centrally contracted players, preventing them from participating in international leagues like the GT20 and The Hundred.

The first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh, scheduled to start at 10 AM on Wednesday in Rawalpindi, has been disrupted by weather conditions. The match was set to mark the beginning of a two-match series with Pakistan looking to end their home losing streak and Bangladesh seeking revenge for their 2-0 defeat during the previous tour.

Day 1 Update:

• Toss Delayed: The start of the match has been postponed due to a wet outfield.
• First Session Lost: As of the latest update at 11:12 local time (06:12 GMT, 11:42 IST), the first session has been lost. Umpires have scheduled another inspection of the ground at 12:00 local time.
• Next Steps: Lunch is now set for 12:00 local time, and further updates will be provided following the next ground inspection.

With the toss still pending and a session already lost to rain, will fans get to see any play today?