ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf defended his actions after a video of an altercation between him and a group of men in the United States during the Twenty20 World Cup was shared on social media on Tuesday.
The video shows Rauf running through a hedge and being confronted by several men who appear to say infuriating things to him, and his wife and one of the men trying to stop him. After some shoving, Rauf crosses the hedge and heads back onto the sidewalk, where his wife remains.
“As public figures, we are open to receiving any kind of feedback from the public,” Rauf wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the video was published on social media. “They have the right to support or criticize us. However, when it comes to my parents and family, we will not hesitate to respond accordingly. It is important to show respect to people and their families, regardless of their profession.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board strongly condemned the incident and demanded an apology from the men involved in the altercation with Rauf.
“Such behaviour towards our player is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi wrote on X. “Those involved must immediately apologise to Haris Rauf. If they do not apologise we will take legal action against those responsible.”
Pakistan missed out on qualifying for the Super Eight after losing to the United States and rivals India in their group matches in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan picked up four points with wins over Canada and Ireland, but finished behind co-hosts the United States, who were making their World Cup debut. Rauf took seven wickets in four matches with an economy rate of 6.73.
Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan also picked an X to protect his teammate.
“Fans have a right to criticise a performance,” Shadab wrote. “It’s not okay to personally attack someone in the presence of your family. How would you feel if someone personally attacked you when you were with your family?”
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