T20 World Cup 2024: USA cricketer accuses Haris Rauf of ball tampering

USA cricketer Rusty Theron has accused Pakistan's Haris Rauf of ball tampering during their T20 World Cup match, sparking controversy and discussions across the cricketing world.

Ovaise Shariff

First Published Jun 18, 2024, 3:58 PM IST | Last Updated Jun 18, 2024, 4:37 PM IST

USA cricketer Rusty Theron sparked controversy on Friday as he accused Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf of ball tampering during their T20 World Cup match.

Theron, who is not part of the current USA squad, voiced his concerns on social media platform 'X', saying, "@ICC are we just going to pretend Pakistan aren't scratching the hell out of this freshly changed ball? Reversing the ball that's just been changed 2 overs ago? You can literally see Haris Rauf running his thumb nail over the ball at the top of his mark. @usacricket."

Despite the allegations, the match ended in a surprising victory for the co-hosts USA, who defeated Pakistan in a thrilling Super Over finish, marking the first major upset of this T20 World Cup edition.

Pakistan, asked to bat first, scored 159 for seven in their allotted 20 overs. In response, the USA produced a fine batting performance and ended at 159 for three.

In the Super Over, USA smashed 18 runs for the loss of one wicket. In contrast, Pakistan managed only 13 runs for one wicket.

Haris Rauf had a challenging outing, conceding 37 runs in his four overs, making him Pakistan's most expensive bowler in the match.

The incident has sparked debate in cricketing circles, with fans and analysts closely monitoring any potential developments from the ICC regarding Theron's accusations.

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