Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has pleaded with fans to move on from his expensive over in the Asia Cup final against India, reminding supporters that even top athletes have off days.
You don’t die after a poor performance. The sun rises again and you do well the other day.
The 32-year-old conceded 17 runs in the 15th over of the Asia Cup final on September 28 in Dubai, a turning point that helped India chase down Pakistan’s 147-run target with five wickets and two balls to spare. The tournament itself was marred by controversy over the teams’ refusal to shake hands after the match.
Suspension and fan backlash
Adding to the fallout, Rauf was suspended for two ODIs after gesturing a war slogan towards Indian fans, which further fuelled criticism. Many blamed him for Pakistan’s defeat, saying his single over cost them the trophy.
The pacer has also faced scrutiny for conceding two sixes to Virat Kohli in the 2022 T20 World Cup at the MCG, and for failing to defend 16 runs in the final over against the USA in the 2024 T20 World Cup — a match Pakistan lost in the Super Over.
‘We’re Not Robots’
Rauf expressed frustration at what he sees as unrealistic expectations from fans.
People do not forget and forgive. There is no forgiveness for us, we are expected to perform like robots, but we are human beings and can have bad days,” he said. “We are not robots who come out of a machine and perform every day.
He added, “People have expectations from us to do well in every match, which is not possible. Fans must forget that Asia Cup final. They just do not want to forgive because it was against India.”
‘We win as a team, we lose as a team’
Rauf emphasised that every player in the squad puts in the hard work and deserves empathy, not condemnation.
We all work hard day in and day out, but sometimes things don’t go our way. It should be seen like that. Fans must learn to forgive. I still meet people who remind me of that MCG match, but that’s in the past.
Reaffirming his commitment to the team, Rauf said: “We win as a team; we lose as a team. There is a trend to blame one player, which is not good. We will play many more matches against India — and we will win too.”
