On Tuesday, a video of veteran Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf went viral on social media, showing him in an altercation with a group of Pakistan fans whom he mistakenly identified as Indians. Haris later clarified the incident, explaining what led him to lose his temper during the exchange in the USA. By Wednesday, he admitted his mistake for aggressively shouting, “Ye tera India nahi hai (This is not your India).”
In the 54-second viral video, Haris was seen walking with his wife when he encountered a group of people who requested a selfie. Though the audio was unclear, it showed Haris rushing towards one individual despite being stopped by his wife.
Haris later took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to explain that the fans had criticized his family and parents, sparking his reaction. “I decided not to bring this to social media, but now that the video is out, I feel it is necessary to address the situation,” he wrote. “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 parents 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.”
The Pakistan cricket fraternity showed solidarity, supporting Haris and criticizing the group of fans. However, many on social media condemned Haris for shouting, “Ye tera India nahi hai (This is not your India).” This incident has sparked a wide range of reactions, highlighting the diversity of opinions in the cricket community and among social media users.
Later on Wednesday, Pakistan TV anchor Waseem Badami of ARY News confirmed that he spoke to Haris, who regretted his actions. He said: “He shouldn’t have made that ‘Indian’ statement. I did have a word with him and he is convinced that the fan was Pakistani and what he said was in the heat of the moment. I asked him and he said, ‘Wasim bhai, he is from Pakistan. What I said was in the heat of the moment and I shouldn’t have said that.’”
The video emerged on social media days after Pakistan’s group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup. Haris picked up seven wickets in the tournament at an economy of 6.73 and was the joint-highest wicket-taker for his side alongside Mohammad Amir.
