New Delhi, India

On Tuesday (June 19), a video went viral where Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was abused by a fan. At first, Rauf thought the fan was an Indian, however, he claimed to be a Pakistani. Rauf lost his cool at the abusive words thrown at him by the fan, who was upset with Pakistan's early exit from the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. The video of the incident went viral as the speedster was also seen charging at the fan for making personal comments, before being stopped by others and his wife. 

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Many cricketers have reacted to Rauf's altercation with the fan. Now, former Indian opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra also joined the bandwagon.

On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "I have seen the clip. I am not sure how much edited or how true it is. I will only say that a player tries to give his best and even if he is unable to do well, whether it's Haris Rauf or Virat Kohli or Steve Smith, we don't need personal comments. Don't target their family."

Also read: 'Apologise or face action': Pakistan Cricket Board threatens fan involved in altercation with Haris Rauf

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He added, "It's expected that you will be well-mannered enough that you won't do it in front of the player. You did it digitally as well, that's also not good. I request you with folded hands that everyone's families should be spared. If you are heartbroken because you have invested in the team or the player, you can criticize but use the language that you can use with your family."

'I WILL NOT HESITATE TO RESPOND ACCORDINGLY'

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After his altercation made heads turn, Rauf also took to his official account on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, "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."

He added, "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."

Rauf claimed seven wickets in four games in what was a forgettable T20 WC campaign for Babar Azam-led Pakistan. They bowed out with wins over Canada and Ireland, after having lost to USA and India.