Haris Rauf, the Pakistan fast bowler, has addressed a viral video of a confrontation between him and some unidentified men. In his response, Rauf expressed that while he is open to public feedback, he will “respond accordingly” if such feedback turns into abuse or targets his family.
— Haris Rauf (@HarisRauf14) June 18, 2024
The video shows Rauf with his wife, engaged in a conversation with several people. Shortly after, Rauf is seen rushing across a hedge towards the group as one man tries to stop him. The situation escalates with pushing, shoving, and raised voices before Rauf is led back to his wife, though the altercation continues until the video ends.
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In a social media post, Rauf stated, “As public figures, we are open to receiving all kinds of feedback from the public. They are entitled to support or criticize us. Nevertheless, when it comes to my parent and my family, I will not hesitate to respond accordingly. It is important to show respect towards people and their families, irrespective of their professions.” The video appears to have been filmed in the USA, following Pakistan’s last group-stage match at the T20 World Cup in Lauderhill against Ireland. Despite winning, Pakistan did not advance to the Super Eight stage.
A heated argument between Haris Rauf and a fan in the USA. pic.twitter.com/d2vt8guI1m
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 18, 2024
Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, condemned the incident on Twitter, saying, “Strongly condemn the appalling incident involving Haris Rauf. Such actions against our players are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Those who are involved must immediately apologise to Haris Rauf, failing which we will pursue legal action against the individual responsible.” Rauf, a centrally contracted Pakistan cricketer, had his contract reinstated earlier this year after it was terminated in February due to his unavailability for a Test series against Australia. The contract was renewed in March after what Naqvi termed a “misunderstanding.”
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At the T20 World Cup, Rauf was one of Pakistan’s top bowlers, taking seven wickets in four bowling innings with an economy rate of 6.73. Despite his performance, Pakistan lost to the USA (in a Super Over) and India, and did not make it to the top two in their group, though they finished with victories over Canada and Ireland.