Pacer Haris Rauf has been accused of ‘ball tampering’,
Pakistan’s cricket team finds itself embroiled in controversy and criticism after a stunning defeat by the USA in their T20 World Cup 2024 opener.
Adding to their woes, Pakistan’s pace bowler Haris Rauf has been accused of ball tampering by former South African pacer and current USA team member Rusty Theron.
Allegations of Ball Tampering:
Rusty Theron took to social media to level serious allegations against Haris Rauf, claiming the Pakistani bowler tampered with the ball during the match.
Theron accused Rauf of running his nails through the new ball in an attempt to generate reverse swing, tagging the International Cricket Council (ICC) in his post.
USA’S RUSTY THERON HAS ACCUSED HARIS RAUF OF BALL TEMPERING…!!!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/ZRoG3VSfXM
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 7, 2024
Despite the gravity of the accusation, the USA cricket team has not yet filed an official complaint.
Haris Rauf’s Underwhelming Performance:
Haris Rauf’s performance in the match was underwhelming, as he managed to take only one wicket while conceding 37 runs in his four overs.
Also read: PCB terminates Haris Rauf’s central contract
His efforts were insufficient to prevent the USA from securing a victory, raising questions about his effectiveness and integrity on the field.
Babar Azam’s Critique of Pakistan’s Bowlers:
In the aftermath of the defeat, Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam did not hold back in his critique of the team’s bowling performance.
He emphasized that the bowlers should have been able to defend their total of 159 runs more effectively against the USA.
“We are better than that in bowling; we were not able to take wickets in the first six overs. In the middle overs, your spinner is not taking wickets, then pressure is on us. After 10 overs, we did come back but I think the way they finished the game in the Super Over, the credit goes to the US team,” Babar stated during the post-match press conference.
