The recently concluded Manchester Test between India and England ended in a historic draw, only the second stalemate under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum since the duo took over in 2022. While the drama on the field and quality of competition between the two sides made for excellent viewing, an incident has caught the eye of Lancashire Cricket Club, one that they have stated is under investigation .
During one of the days of the Test, a fan dressed up in Pakistan's limited-overs kit was allegedly told to cover his shirt by security personnel at Old Trafford. After hearing multiple requests, the visibly uncomfortable man, named as Farooq Nazar in Pakistan media, opted to leave the ground instead of sitting according to the instructions given to him. The video of the incident has been circulating on the social media platform X, eventually bringing it to the attention of Lancashire who have mentioned that an investigation has started already regarding the issue.
"We are aware of the incident referenced and are taking steps to understand the facts and context surrounding the matter fully," a spokesman for Lancashire said according to ESPN.
In the video, multiple security personnel are seen asking Nazar to hide his jersey.
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"I've been asked by control if you can cover that shirt up, please," says the security person who identifies himself as a Lancashire club resource. Not too long after, there is a steward who drops by, saying that the shirt "might be considered nationalistic".
It is difficult to verify at this moment when this incident happened but visuals suggest that it occurred during the Manchester Test that ended on Sunday (July 27). England and Lancashire in particular have in recent years built an increasingly strong rapport with India. Manchester's franchise in The Hundred, named Manchester Originals, are now majorly owned by Sanjiv Goenka's RPSG Group who reportedly have 70 percent stakes in the franchise. They are not the only franchise in The Hundred with an Indian presence and speculations are that this alleged incident at Old Trafford could have been an off-shoot of the power game.
Political relations between India and Pakistan, historically strained, have gone up a few notches since the Pahalgam attack in April 2025. While it was expected that cricket between the two countries may be suspended in the near future, the marquee clash is set to continue with the two teams placed in the same group of the 2025 Asia Cup. India are technical hosts of the tournament which shall be hosted by UAE on behalf of the BCCI.