Lancashire have issued an apology after a spectator was asked to leave Old Trafford during the final day of the fourth England-India Test for refusing to cover a Pakistan cricket shirt.
Farooq Nazar, who was sitting in the Pavilion End, filmed the exchange and later shared it online. In the video a steward explains he has been sent by “control” to request that the replica Pakistan one-day top be covered. Nazar refuses, and police officers then accompany him from the stand. The county later confirmed the fan was “asked to leave the stadium by stewards and police officers due to unacceptable behaviour directed towards the stewarding team”.
In a statement released following an internal review, Lancashire expressed regret for “any upset and offence caused which was not intended and will review its procedures for handling similar situations in the future”.
Context from the previous day
The club said the decision was influenced by an incident 24 hours earlier when a small group of supporters waved a Pakistan flag near a pocket of India fans, prompting what one steward described afterwards as “needle that didn’t need to be there”. On that occasion the flag was put away and tempers cooled.
Explaining Sunday’s approach, Lancashire said:
“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.
“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.”
Why shirts and flags can matter
With India and Pakistan not meeting in a bilateral series since 2012-13, emotions at neutral venues can run high. Political tensions escalated again in May after a brief border skirmish, and administrators have been wrangling over neutral venues for ICC tournaments since. Even away from the international arena those broader issues sometimes bleed into county or franchise events, leaving stewards to make quick judgements on potential flashpoints.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain, speaking on Sky’s highlights show, felt Old Trafford staff had acted with “good intentions” but could have handled the optics better. “You never like to see someone marched out just for the shirt on their back,” he said. “At the same time, if you’ve had trouble the previous day you can understand a bit of over-caution.”
Nazar rejects safety argument
Nazar, for his part, remains unconvinced. “I was there to watch cricket, nothing more,” he told BBC Radio Manchester. “If a shirt causes trouble then maybe the problem isn’t the shirt.”
He added that several India supporters nearby had told him they saw no issue. “Most of them were actually apologising to me. It was embarrassing for everyone.”
Balancing act for hosts
Security consultant Ben Richards, who has worked at The Oval and Edgbaston, said split-second calls are never straightforward. “You’re trained to read the crowd,” he explained. “If you think something could kick off, you act early. But optics matter – once a video goes viral people see an ejection, not the dozen calm interventions that prevented trouble the day before.”
Lancashire have indicated refresher training and clearer signage will follow. One idea under consideration is a pre-match announcement asking fans to avoid provocative national symbols during fixtures featuring sides with historic rivalries. Whether that is enforceable – or desirable – remains to be seen, particularly in a sport that prides itself on its colourful, global fan base.
Meanwhile England’s players, who completed a 3-1 series victory, were unaware of the incident until after stumps. Batter Ollie Pope said, “We rely on the ground staff to keep things safe. Hopefully everyone can come and enjoy cricket in their own colours.”
A messy episode, then, in an otherwise good-natured Test match. Lancashire’s apology accepts fault in the handling, while doubling down on the safety rationale. Nazar still feels wronged. And, as ever when India and Pakistan’s sporting rivalry bubbles beneath the surface, even neutral venues find themselves juggling more than just runs and wickets.
