In response to the removal of a fan on the last day of the India-England Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the Lancashire cricket club, which owns and operates the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, has expressed regret for "any upset and offence caused."  

Farooq Nazar, the fan, posted a video on social media showing how security guards asked him to leave because he was wearing a t-shirt that was a duplicate of an old Pakistan ODI jersey.

However, Lancashire blamed Nazar in part. In its statement, the club claimed that Nazar was only removed by the police "because of unacceptable behaviour directed towards the stewarding team" after first being requested to cover his t-shirt.

Additionally, it stated that requesting Nazar to leave was more about averting animosity and any form of violence on the ground than it was about the Pakistan jersey.

“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 Cricket Club stated.

“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 statement further read.

The club also said it’ll “review its procedures for handling similar situations in the future".

Naturally, the episode was viewed in the larger context of strained India-England ties. With the RPSG group, owned by Sanjiv Goenka, currently owning 70% of the Manchester Originals in the Hundred, Lancashire has been successful in its efforts to draw in Indian investment.