Lancashire County Cricket Club has issued an apology following an incident that saw a fan wearing a Pakistan shirt removed from the stands during the final day of the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford on July 27, 2025.

The fan, Farooq Nazar, was asked by a member of the stadium’s security staff to cover his Pakistan cricket shirt, which he refused to do. A video shared by Nazar on social media captured parts of the exchange, in which he was told that the request had come from stadium ‘control.’ After declining multiple times to comply, Nazar was escorted out of the stadium by security and police personnel.

In a public statement issued after an internal review, Lancashire said they “apologise for any upset and offence caused,” noting that this had not been the intention, and that the club would reassess its procedures for similar situations in the future.

Lancashire clarified that Nazar’s ejection was not simply due to the shirt he wore as a Pakistani fan, but rather due to his response to stadium staff. The club stated he was “asked to leave the stadium by stewards and police officers due to unacceptable behaviour directed towards the stewarding team.”

The club also provided context, citing a separate incident on the previous day of the Test match. On Saturday, tensions reportedly flared between some Indian and Pakistani fans in the stands after a group of spectators displayed a Pakistan flag. In Sunday’s case, Lancashire says they took a precautionary approach, believing that the visible display of Pakistan’s cricket colours in a predominantly Indian crowd might lead to further tension.

Lancashire reiterated that the intention was not to discriminate against fans based on national affiliation, but to act in the interest of stadium safety, particularly given the wider geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan. The incident came just days after an India veterans team refused to play Pakistan in the Legends tournament in Birmingham, and amid ongoing political strain that has affected sporting ties, including the absence of bilateral series between the two countries since 2012.

While the club has acknowledged the controversy surrounding the incident, their apology signals a recognition of the need for better handling of cross-national sensitivities in multicultural sporting events, especially in a country like England where diasporas from both India and Pakistan form large parts of the cricket fanbase.

Lancashire confirmed it will be reviewing its protocols to ensure that future incidents are managed with “greater clarity and consistency,” particularly when it comes to balancing fan expression and crowd safety.

Pakistan champions have qualified for the final of the World Championship of Legends 2025 after India refused to play in the semi-finals.

The organizers of the World Championship of Legends have confirmed that the Pakistan Champions have qualified for the World Championship of Legends finals, while the India Champions team has withdrawn from the semi-finals.

Defending champions India had previously refused to play a round-robin match against champions Pakistan.

The Indian champions qualified for the semi-finals by defeating the West Indies champions yesterday and surpassed the England champions in net run rate.

After defeating the West Indies, the Indian champions came in fourth place on the points table and their semi-final was scheduled against the top-placed Pakistan champions.

The cricket league said in a statement that at WCL, we have always believed in sport as a source of inspiration and positive change in the world.

The management says that public sentiment should always be respected, after all, everything we do is for our audience.

The Cricket League says that taking all factors into account, the match between the India Champions and the Pakistan Champions has been canceled, as a result of which the Pakistan Champions will reach the final.

In a dramatic turn of events at the World Championship of Legends (WCL), India and Pakistan are on a collision course once more after drawing each other in the semifinal. This development creates a new headache for the organisers after their earlier fixture in the group stage was cancelled.

India Champions managed to sneak into fourth place following their win over West Indies, overtaking England on net-run rate. Controversially, their one win coupled with a point from the abandoned Pakistan fixture was enough to see them through, although many, including Pakistan, called out the sharing of points despite India not taking the field. Usually, a team which abandons the match is not awarded anything, but a charitable gesture paved the way for India’s road to the semifinal.

After not addressing this problem earlier, WCL organisers find themselves in a logjam over how to proceed now. According to reports in Indian media, Yuvraj Singh’s side will again refuse to play against Pakistan in the semifinal tomorrow. Reportedly, they are asking to be paired up against either Australia or South Africa, the other semifinalists, which undermines the sanctity of competition.

With the final looming, the organizers are scrambling behind the scenes to find a solution that works best. With India and Pakistan resuming cricketing ties during the upcoming Asia Cup, there is still hope that this fixture will go ahead as planned.

All eyes are now on an official announcement from the organizers.

One thing is certain: if India and Pakistan do face off, it will be more than just a semifinal. It will be a showdown layered with political subtext, unplayed rivalry, and a chance to let cricket—not controversy—take center stage.