Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy: Lancashire apologize for inconvenience to Pakistan fan
What's the story
Lancashire County Cricket Club has issued an apology after a fan was thrown out of the ground during the fourth Test match between England and India at Manchester's Old Trafford. The incident involved Farooq Nazar, who was asked by a security guard to cover his Pakistan cricket shirt. The request was made by a steward working for Lancashire, who said he had been sent by "control" to ask Nazar to cover his shirt.
Context
Reason behind the request
Lancashire clarified that their response to Nazar was influenced by a separate incident involving Indian and Pakistani fans during the Test match. On Saturday, a group of supporters waved a Pakistan national flag, which led to tensions with Indian fans. The stewards managed to defuse the situation by respectfully asking them to put away the flag, which they did without hesitation.
Escalation
Nazar refused to cover his shirt
Nazar refused to cover his shirt, which was a replica of Pakistan's traditional green limited-overs kit. He was then escorted away by police officers. According to Lancashire's statement, he was "asked to leave the stadium by stewards and police officers due to unacceptable behavior directed toward the stewarding team." The club has since apologized for any upset or offense caused by this incident.
Safety measures
Lancashire's statement on the incident
In light of the previous incident, Lancashire took a precautionary approach on Sunday. A stand supervisor politely asked Nazar to cover his shirt for his own safety and to prevent any potential escalation. Despite several polite requests from the supervisor and response team, Nazar repeatedly declined to comply. The club has since apologized for any upset or offense caused by this incident.