US cricketer accuses Haris Rauf of ball tampering

Pakistani fast bowler Haris Rauf has been accused of ball tampering following Pakistan's shocking defeat to the United States in the T20 World Cup on Thursday.

The allegations were made by US cricketer Rusty Theron, who took to social media to voice his concerns. In a tweet posted on X (formerly Twitter), Theron claimed that Rauf attempted to tamper with the ball using his fingernails during the match.

"Are we just going to pretend Pakistan isn't scratching the hell out of this freshly changed ball?" Theron tweeted, tagging the International Cricket Council (ICC). He questioned how the ball could start swinging drastically after just two overs, implying foul play.

The accusations came in the wake of a thrilling encounter where the US team narrowly avoided defeat, clinching victory in the Super Over. Pakistan will now face arch-rival India on Sunday in their second match of the T20 World Cup.

Captain Babar Azam, talking to reporters following the defeat, said that Pakistan have a tendency to underestimate less established teams at major tournaments, adding that his side played well below their standard.

"Whenever you come into any tournament, you always do the best preparation," Babar said.

"But you can say it's a kind of mindset, when you come up against a team like this, you relax a little. You take things a little lightly.

Read more: Babar Azam reacts to Pak vs USA defeat in T20 World Cup opener

"If you don't execute your plan against any team, then whatever team it is, they will beat you. I believe that we are not up to the mark in executing. We are doing well in preparation, but in the match, we are not executing our plans as a team."

Babar also lamented his side's failure to take wickets in the first half of the US innings, with an early 68-run partnership between Mohank Patel and Andries Gous proving vital in the host nation's chase.

"We are not playing good in all three departments," Babar said.

"We are better than that in the bowling, we aren't taking wickets in the first six overs. In the middle overs, if your spinner is not taking wickets then pressure is on us.

"But I think the way they finished the game in the super overs, credit to the US team."

This is not the first time that Pakistan have suffered a defeat to lower-ranked opposition in major tournaments, with the 2009 champions losing to Zimbabwe in the 2022 T20 World Cup and Afghanistan at last year's 50-overs World Cup.