Lancashire Issues An Apology For Removing A Fan Wearing Pakistan Jersey During England Vs India, 4th Test News24 –
Lancashire County Cricket Club issued a public apology after an incident during the England vs India Test match at Old Trafford, in which a spectator was removed from the stadium for not covering up a Pakistan cricket team jersey.
The man, named Farooq Nazar, posted a clip on social media of the interaction with security staff. As per Nazar, one of the stewards came up to him and asked him to cover up his shirt, which was similar to Pakistan’s classic green limited-overs jersey. The staff told him that he had been ordered by “control” to ask for this. Nazar refused, and police officers then ended up removing him from the ground.
The club issued an apology saying: “any upset and offence caused which was not intended and will review its procedures for handling similar situations in the future.”
“A stand supervisor politely asked the individual to cover his shirt in the interest of his own safety and to avoid any potential escalation. Despite several courteous requests from the supervisor and the response team, the individual repeatedly declined to comply”
“Firstly, we wish to make it clear that there was no intention to remove the individual simply for wearing a Pakistan cricket shirt,” the club said in a statement. “The approach taken was informed by an incident on Saturday, during which a group of supporters waved a Pakistan national flag, leading to tensions with nearby Indian fans. In that case, our stewards were able to de-escalate the situation by respectfully asking the individuals to put the flag away, which they did without hesitation.
“In light of this context, our team adopted a precautionary, safety-first approach on Sunday. A stand supervisor politely asked the individual to cover his shirt in the interest of his own safety and to avoid any potential escalation. Despite several courteous requests from the supervisor and the response team, the individual repeatedly declined to comply.”
Nazir was asked to leave not because of the Pakistan jersey he was wearing, but according to a statement released by the club, because of what they described as “unacceptable behaviour” towards the stewarding team. The club confirmed it has conducted an internal review of the matter and issued an apology.
Lancashire also explained that an earlier confrontation between Indian and Pakistani supporters on the Saturday of the same Test match had increased sensitivities. That clash shaped the security team’s strategy the next day, when Nazar’s incident took place.
India-Pakistan tensions have heightened in recent months, especially after a short military encounter in May. The political tension has also spilled over into cricketing relations. India and Pakistan have not played each other in a bilateral series since 2012–13, and haven’t shared a Test match since 2007–08. Even their share of ICC tournaments often falls prey to diplomatic tensions, with neutral venues routinely being adopted as part of a compromise deal.
Earlier this week, political tensions spilled over into a WCL cricket tournament in Birmingham, with India legends side refusing to play Pakistan, forfeiting both a group-stage encounter and a semi-final.