Lancashire apologise after fan ejected over Pakistan shirt in Manchester Test

MANCHESTER: Lancashire County Cricket Club has issued an apology following an incident on the final day of the England vs. India Test at Old Trafford, where a spectator was removed from the ground after refusing to cover his Pakistan cricket team shirt.

The fan, Farooq Nazar, shared a video on social media showing a confrontation with security personnel. 

The incident began when a staff member, identifying himself as working for Lancashire, asked him to cover his replica green Pakistan limited-overs jersey.

Nazar refused and was later escorted out of the venue by police officers.

In a statement, Lancashire said the fan was “asked to leave the stadium by stewards and police officers due to unacceptable behaviour directed towards the stewarding team.”

The incident occurred on Sunday, the final day of the Test. Following online criticism, the club launched an internal review and later issued a public apology.

Lancashire also referred to a related incident on the previous day involving tensions between Indian and Pakistani fans, which influenced their handling of the situation with Nazar.

"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," the statement added.

"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 comes at a time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following a brief military skirmish in May.

Political strains have also affected cricketing ties, with no bilateral series between the two nations since 2012–13 and no Test series since 2007–08.

Earlier this week, diplomatic tensions spilled over into a legends tournament in Birmingham, where the India Champions team refused to play against Pakistan, forfeiting two matches, including the semi-final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025.