Pakistan cricket fraternity reacts after Haris Rauf's verbal altercation video goes viral: ‘Fans should know…’

Haris Rauf courted fresh controversy after the Pakistan pacer lost his cool and confronted a fan in the United States of America (USA) on Tuesday. Rauf was in the eye of a storm after the video of the Pakistan pacer taunting a group of fans became the talk of the town. In the video, Rauf was seen retaliating after the fans apparently upset the Pakistan bowler following the embarrassing exit of the Green Army from the ICC T20 World Cup.

Following Pakistan's no-show at the grandest stage, pacer Rauf was walking with his wife when the cricketer had an unfortunate verbal altercation. “India se hoga (He must be from India),” Rauf yelled at the fan. “Pakistan se hun (I am from Pakistan),” the fan responded in the viral video. Rauf approached the fan even after his wife tried to stop him. Rauf and the fan exchanged verbal volleys as the group taunted him for the below-par run at the World Cup.

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Pakistan cricket fraternity reacts to Rauf's altercation video

Extending his support to Rauf, former Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez urged fans to respect the privacy of the players. "Fans should know how to respect the boundaries between personal & professional life of a cricketer. These are basic ethics & a humble request," Hafeez said. Pacer Hassan Ali also shared his views about the viral video. "I've seen a video circulating online about Harry @HarisRauf14 and I urge all my dearest cricket fans to remember that criticism can be constructive without being hurtful. Let's keep the debate respectful and considerate of the players’ families. Let's promote love, peace and respect for the GAME. We all want Pakistan cricket to rise, love you all," the fast bowler added.

Former Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz said fans should respect players.

Rauf breaks silence

Rauf also opened up about the incident and said he will "not hesitate to respond" when his family is dragged into the matter. "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," Rauf said.

Pakistan's flop show at T20 World Cup

Babar Azam's Pakistan kickstarted its T20 World Cup campaign with a shock defeat at the hands of co-hosts USA. Following USA's epic win in the Super-Over thriller, the 2022 runners-up lost the blockbuster clash with arch-rivals India in New York. Though Pakistan bounced back with wins over Ireland and Canada, the Rauf-starrer side finished behind India and USA in Group A. Leaders India and second-placed USA made it to the Super 8 stage while Pakistan capped off an early exit from the ICC event.