Pakistan cricketer Haris Rauf appears to slap teammate after dropped catch

Melbourne Stars cricketer Haris Rauf appeared to slap a teammate in the face after he dropped a regulation catch in the field.

Pakistan pace bowler Haris Rauf appeared to slap a Lahore Qalandars teammate in the face following a dropped catch during Tuesday’s Pakistan Super League match against the Peshawar Zalmi.

In the second over of Zalmi’s innings at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Qalandars all-rounder Kamran Ghulam spilt a regulation chance at point, gifting opener Hazratullah Zazai an extra life on 6.

Rauf threw his arms up in frustration when the catch was put down, and Mohammad Haris rubbed salt into the wounds by cracking a boundary the very next delivery.

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But the right-armer quickly bounced back, removing Haris later in the over with a bouncer that was caught by Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed at deep fine leg.

A fired-up Rauf celebrated the dismissal with his teammates, but when Ghulam joined the group huddle, Rauf appeared to strike him across the face with his hand.

Ghulam was unfazed by the incident, continuing to congratulate the paceman for his breakthrough.

Extremely unprofessional behaviour by @HarisRauf14 who slapped his teammate Kamran Ghulam for dropping a catch. @TheRealPCB should take immediate notice. There should be no tolerance for violence on the field. @TheRealPCBMedia#PSL2022#PSL7#pslive#lahoreQalandars#PCBhttps://t.co/EzsMgQf8gG

— Hamza Azhar Salam (@HamzaAzhrSalam) February 21, 2022

I am a great admirer of @HarisRauf14 but he has disappointed cricketing fans with his arrogance. Slapping teammate Kamran Ghulam in a PSL match shouldn’t go unpunished. @TheRealPCB@lahoreqalandars@ICC

— Owais Tohid (@OwaisTohid) February 22, 2022

Dear Haris Rauf, we know that you’ve hugged Ghulam later but it was a bit late. You couldn’t control your frustration which you should’ve. It’s not just about performance, it’s also about sportsmanship. You owe an apology to your fans and other cricket followers.

— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) February 22, 2022

Later in the match, footage appeared of Rauf and Ghulam embracing in the outfield, suggesting there was no bitterness between the pair.

Local reports claim that Rauf copped a warning from match referee Ali Naqvi, but was not reprimanded further. However, several cricket fans have called for Rauf to be punished following the ordeal.

Rauf finished with match figures of 1/36 from four overs as Peshawar registered a total of 7/158 from their 20 overs.

An unbeaten 39 off 20 balls from Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi late in the run chase forced a Super Over, but Zalmi ultimately clinched victory in the one-over decider thanks largely to Wahab Riaz’s classy death bowling.

Ghulam scored 25 off 18 during the run chase, while Rauf was removed for a golden duck.

Haris Rauf of the Melbourne Stars. Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images

The 28-year-old has represented the Melbourne Stars in 18 matches since making his Big Bash League debut in 2019, claiming 30 wickets at 16.40.

No cricketer has taken more BBL wickets at a better average than the Pakistani speedster. He is also one of seven cricketers to have taken a hat-trick in the Big Bash League.

Rauf has represented Pakistan in eight ODIs and 34 T20Is since making his international debut in January 2020, taking 55 wickets at 25.73 across formats.

The Qalandars, who finished second on the PSL ladder with six wins from 10 matches, will next face the Multan Sultans in Thursday morning’s Qualifier, with the first ball scheduled for 1.30am AEDT.

Originally published as Pakistan cricketer Haris Rauf appears to slap teammate after dropped catch