Haris Rauf Gets Into Altercation, Defends Family After T20 World Cup Exit
Lauderhill (Florida), Jun 18: Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf found himself in the eye of a storm after a video of his verbal altercation with a group of men surfaced online, prompting him to say that he will “not hesitate to respond” when his family is dragged.
The incident took place after Pakistan’s group stage exit from the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies. Pakistan suffered a shock defeat to newcomers USA before crumbling under pressure to lose from a winning position against traditional rivals India.
In the video clip that went viral on social media, Haris was seen walking with his wife when he bumped into a group of people. Although it was not clear what the conversation between the cricketer and the people was about, they were allegedly taunting him for the team’s disastrous outing in the showpiece.
Suddenly Rauf seemed to have lost his cool and was seen rushing across a hedge towards the men. During the altercation, his wife tried to stop him, but Haris took off his slippers and ran towards the people before being stopped by one of them.
Rauf wrote on X: “I decided to not bring this on social media, but now that the video is out, I feel it is necessary to address the situation. 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.”
In the video, one of the fans could be heard saying, “Ek picture maangi hai bas (All I wanted was one picture with you),” indicating that the situation might have escalated from a simple request for a photo.
Pakistan regained some pride by winning their last group match against Ireland after their fate was sealed when the game between USA and Ireland was abandoned due to rain. The incident has sparked a debate on social media about the pressures faced by athletes and the boundaries of public interaction.
