Lancashire Cricket has issued a public apology for the recent controversial incident in which a Pakistan team fan was evicted from the stands during the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford in Manchester. Farooq Nazar, a fan, captured video of the entire incident and put it online, where it quickly went popular on social media.
Farooq stated that the entire incident originated from a Lancashire official asking him to hide his Pakistan national jersey, which he had worn to attend the game.
He was then expelled from the arena while officials and police security staff completed the necessary paperwork to ensure the smooth operation of the Test match.
“[The supporter] was ordered to leave the stadium with stewards and police officials due to improper behaviour towards the stewarding crew. Any upset or offence caused that was not intended, and will evaluate its protocols for dealing with similar instances in the future,” an official Lancashire statement said.
Farooq’s removal, an aftermath of previous episode
However, the cricket association, which was in-charge for the fourth Test at the iconic venue, clarified that an earlier incident at the venue between Indian and Pakistani supporters had a weightage on how Farooq’s situation was handled.
“Firstly, we wish to make it clear that there was no intention to remove the individual simply for wearing a Pakistan cricket shirt, 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,” Lancashire explained.
“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,” it further clarified.
Growing Indo-Pak tensions
Tensions between India and Pakistan have remained strained since the Pahalgam terror attacks in May. Diplomatic relations have got soured between the two nations. The most-recent case of this trickling down into cricket was India Champions’ withdrawal from playing a group-stage and semi-final clash against Pakistan Champions in the 2025 instalment of the World Championship of Legends, as the Men in Green have now advanced to the finals.
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