On Tuesday, a video did the rounds on social media showing Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf angrily confronting a fan on the streets of USA. He subsequently released a statement on social media defending his actions.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Rauf said he felt it necessary to address the situation now that footage of the incident had emerged. He acknowledged the right that fans had to criticise the performances of teams and players, but reiterated that personal attacks, especially on his family members, would not be tolerated.
— Haris Rauf (@HarisRauf14) June 18, 2024
In the video, Rauf is seen jumping over some bushes onto the sidewalk to confront the fan. In a heated exchange, he can be heard asking the fan if he was abusing his (Rauf's) father, to which the fan replied that he had just wanted a picture with the cricketer.
The incident came to light days after Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign ended. The mood around Pakistan's men's national team has been one of dissatisfaction for a few months now. The team was beaten 4-1 by New Zealand in a T20I series at the start of 2024, before Shaheen Shah Afridi made way for Babar Azam to return as T20 skipper. Results did not improve by much, though.
Read more: Pakistan player ratings after crashing out in the T20 World Cup group stage
Their T20 World cup campaign was also poor, as they went down against co-hosts USA in a Super Over, before letting a match against India slip out of their grasp. They were knocked out before they played their final group match, but even in that game their successful chase of 107 against Ireland was far from convincing.
Rauf was one of the better performers in the side, with seven wickets in three matches and an economy rate of less than seven.
Follow Wisden for all T20 World Cup updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights and video analysis.
