- Rauf appeared to be referring to a comment about his father, but it was inaudible.
- The 30-year-old said he was prepared to “do the right thing” for his family.
- Pakistan had a disappointing World Cup performance and failed to qualify for the Super Eights.
Pakistan cricketer Haris Rauf was spotted confronting a group of fans who accosted him while he was walking with his wife.
The 30-year-old was recently involved in the T20 World Cup in the United States, with Pakistan’s activities wrapping up with the final match against Ireland on Sunday.
The team failed to qualify for the Super 8 after losses to India and a shock defeat to the USA earlier in the season.
However, at one point during his time in the United States, Rauff became embroiled in an apparently angry and violent altercation with a group of men who seemed to have harbored some hostility towards the pitcher.
In a video circulating on social media, Rauf is seen walking down the driveway with his wife Muzna Masood Malik and appears to become enraged over something that is not captured on video.
Rauf then took off both his shoes, ran down the path, jumped through a row of green trees and confronted the men, one of whom was wearing a Pakistan jersey.
Malik tries to stop her husband but stays away from the fight as Rauf is restrained.
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Fragments of conversation can be heard during the confrontation and, according to Wisden, one member of the group can be heard saying “not America” in Hindi as Rauf leaps through bushes.
“Are you going to hit us?” asked another member of the group, adding: “We are your fans and we asked for a photo.”
“Are you insulting my father? This is not India,” Rauf says, to which one man replies that he is from Pakistan.
To which the cricketer replied: “You are from Pakistan and you are behaving like this?”
After the video went viral, Rauf took to social media on Tuesday to say the public attention forced him to “address the situation.”
“I chose not to speak about this on social media, but now that the video has been made public I feel the need to address the situation,” Rauf wrote.
“As public figures, we are open to any kind of feedback from the public. They have the right to support us or criticise us.”
“But when it comes to my parents and family, I will not hesitate to respond accordingly.”
“It’s important to show respect for people and their families, regardless of their occupation.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to publicly react to the video or Rauf’s subsequent statements.
