New Delhi: Haris Rauf’s heated engagement with a fan in the US has now led to conspiracy theories. Pakistanis think it was a PR stunt to distract from criticism of the team’s performance in the World Cup.
A now-viral video shows Rauf walking with his wife when a man speaks to the pacer from a distance. It ends up instigating the player.
Rauf released a statement on X on the incident where he said, “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”.
While Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi and other cricketers like Muhammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Shadab Khan, Imam ul Haq among others came out in support of Rauf, social media users don’t seem convinced. Naqvi even talked about taking legal action against the fan.
“People were already speaking in support of Haris Rauf, honestly it’s embarrassing to see tweets from cricket players and franchises pouring up as if he needs to be protected. none of you expressed an ounce of guilt or regret over the shameful exit which is like your actual job,” one user tweeted.
Another wrote, “A friend just mentioned how the attack on Haris Rauf could be Saya corporation’s staged stunt to deflect criticism and I could not discount the possibility.”
Saya Corporation is an athlete management company that manages a number of Pakistani players including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Muhammad Rizwan. They reportedly exert a large influence on Pakistani cricket.
One user wished that the team members had supported Babar like they supported Rauf and wrote, “The way Pakistan team players stood by Haris Rauf on this incident. I wish they had supported @babarazam258 like that during the world cup”. Another user responded to this by saying that this was not team unity and that it was the company tweeting on their behalf. He pointed out the flawless English that the Pakistani cricketers used as a reason for his scepticism.
Rauf, along with the Pakistan national team, has come under scrutiny following their elimination from the 2024 T20 World Cup. This followed losses to USA and India during the group stage.
In his four appearances at the World Cup, Rauf claimed seven wickets for Pakistan.
Also read: Pakistanis playing blame game after T20 World Cup. Coach Kirsten’s remark fans the flames
Indian or Pakistani fan?
Pakistanis were as quick with the memes as they were with the conspiracy theories.
An X user posted a video of a woman combing her husband’s hair with the caption: ‘Haris Rauf’s wife trying to calm down him while he is getting angry at a fan’.
The debate on social media also dwelled on whether the fan who instigated Rauf was Indian or Pakistani.
Journalist Arfa Feroze Zake in a tweet claimed, “Haris Rauf doesn’t wants to push the controversy further hence didn’t got into the debate of Indian or Pakistani fan. However no true Pakistani fan will ever abuse it’s superstars. The accent of the guy who abused Haris Rauf was totally an INDIAN ACCENT! (period)”
Mohammad Rizwan too faced criticism after his tweet supporting teammate Haris Rauf took a controversial turn involving India’s name.
Rizwan emphasised that the disrespectful behavior towards Rauf, regardless of the fan’s nationality, even if it was Indian, was unacceptable.
An ARY news anchor, who spoke to Rauf, confirmed that the heckler was a Pakistani.
Most Pakistanis remained unmoved. “That paid marketing is hurting Pakistan cricket badly,”one X user from Pakistan wrote.