MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Lancashire County Cricket Club has issued an apology after a fan was removed from Old Trafford during the final day of the England vs. India Test match for refusing to cover his Pakistan cricket team shirt.
The fan, Farooq Nazar, posted a video online showing a security official asking him to cover his green Pakistan jersey. When he refused, he was escorted out of the ground by police officers.
The club said in a statement that Nazar was removed not for wearing the shirt, but because of “unacceptable behaviour” towards staff. However, after the video spread widely and drew criticism on social media, Lancashire launched an internal review and later apologised for how the situation was handled.
The club explained that the decision was influenced by an earlier incident on Saturday, where a group of fans waving a Pakistan flag caused tension with nearby Indian fans. Stewards had managed to calm the situation by asking the group to put the flag away.
In Sunday’s case, the club said a stand supervisor had politely asked Nazar to cover his shirt to prevent any possible conflict, but he declined several requests. The club said the intention was to ensure safety, not to discriminate against any team or country.
The incident comes at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan are high, following a military conflict in May. Cricket ties between the two countries have also suffered, with no full bilateral series since 2012.
Earlier this week, political strain was also seen in the World Championship of Legends 2025 in Birmingham, where the India Champions team refused to play against Pakistan, forfeiting two matches, including the semi-final.
