Pakistani fast bowler Haris Rauf has hit back at criticism of his performance in high-pressure situations, saying that he pays no attention to outside noise.
During a recent media interaction, Rauf made it clear that he does not follow social media or take people’s opinions seriously.
“To be honest, I don’t look at social media at all because I know people talk without really knowing what they’re saying. And later, when they watch their own videos, they don’t focus on what they actually said — they only look at how many views they got,” he said.
Rauf stressed that criticism should come with responsibility and respect.
“In my opinion, I am 100% right about this. Those people should also check how many views they got, but more importantly, how much sense their words made, what their way of speaking was like, and whether they were criticizing or being disrespectful — because that really matters,” he stressed.
“If you are criticizing someone, it should be done with discipline and in a respectful way. That always looks better.”
He doubled down on his stance later on.
“By the way, I don’t listen to anyone, and I never will. I don’t have any interest in listening to others because nowadays people just talk about any team or anyone without proper understanding. It feels like they’re just enjoying it without real knowledge.”
Rauf also pointed out that fans often ignore the context behind match situations.
“In my opinion, when something actually happens in a match, it becomes clear — like how many fielders moved out, how many came in, what the conditions were. But people don’t notice these details. They only see that runs were scored, not how those runs actually came about or what the situation was.”
His comments came after a dramatic Pakistan Super League (PSL) match against Karachi on Sunday, where Lahore lost control in the final over. Karachi needed 14 runs when on-field umpire Faisal Afridi checked the ball after it had been exchanged between Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar Zaman.
After consulting with fellow umpire Sharfuddoula, the officials replaced the ball and awarded a five-run penalty to Karachi, thus reducing the target to nine runs in the final over.
Rauf could not defend the total as the chase ended in just three deliveries, with a boundary and a six sealing the result.
The latest incident added to a series of difficult moments for Rauf in death overs. During the Big Bash League (BBL), he failed to defend 10 runs in the final over against Brisbane Heat at the Gabba.
In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 clash against India, he conceded two crucial sixes to Virat Kohli in the 19th over, shifting the momentum of the match.
A similar situation unfolded in the Asia Cup 2025 final, where India chased down 10 runs in the last over with ease.
In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 match against the United States, he could not defend 15 runs, as the game moved into a Super Over before Pakistan suffered a shock defeat.
