Lancashire explain why they removed fan wearing Pakistan jersey at Old Trafford – it wasn’t due to his T-shirt | Cricket News
Lancashire Cricket Club has issued an apology following an incident where a fan wearing a Pakistan cricket jersey was removed from Old Trafford Cricket Ground during the final day of the India-England Test match in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The club faced criticism after Farooq Nazar shared a video on social media showing security officials asking him to leave for refusing to cover his replica Pakistan ODI jersey.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The cricket club explained that the decision to remove Nazar was not solely based on his Pakistan cricket shirt but was influenced by previous tensions between fans at the ground. The club stated that Nazar was initially requested to cover his shirt and was later escorted out by police due to his behaviour towards the stewarding team.Lancashire Cricket Club provided context for their actions, citing a previous incident from Saturday where tensions arose between Indian and Pakistani supporters over the display of a Pakistan national flag. The situation was resolved when stewards asked the flag-bearers to put it away.“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 stated in their official response.“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.”The club detailed their attempts to handle the situation with Nazar, explaining their safety-first approach. “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.“The incident has drawn attention within the context of broader India-England relations. Lancashire Cricket Club has been actively working to attract Indian investment, with success evident in the Sanjiv Goenka-owned RPSG group’s 70 percent stake in the Manchester Originals in the Hundred.The club has acknowledged the need for improvement in handling similar situations and has committed to reviewing its procedures. Lancashire’s statement included an apology for “any upset and offence caused” by the incident.
