Group Entered Hotel of Pakistan Cricketers Mistaken for Migrants
A crowd gathered outside the Marriott Hotel in Cosham amid false rumours migrants had arrived. A group of people reached the hotel floor where members of the Pakistan under-19 cricket team were staying after protesters wrongly believed they were migrants, the Pakistan Cricket Board has said.
Between 30 to 40 individuals congregated at the Marriott on Tuesday evening following misinformation that a coach carrying migrants had arrived. Sumair Syed, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board, revealed that the team reported people "knocking on their doors" during the incident but the players "behaved responsibly and didn’t escalate the situation."
Hampshire Police stated no offences were committed, and the crowd dispersed around 21:00 BST. The team subsequently played a scheduled match the following day, according to Syed. He described the occurrence as "unfortunate" while assuring communication with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which had promised to enhance security measures for the visiting team.
"This is the responsibility of the whole sport to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of the visiting team," he emphasized. "They are on it, and we are hopeful that nothing similar will occur in the future."
George Madgwick, a county councillor who attended the scene, recounted hotel staff showing him proof identifying the guests as the touring cricket team and urged people online not to gather. He criticized the reaction, stating:
"It was mere speculation rather than based on truth or fact. In this case, they have made a grave error, a grave mistake."
Madgwick denied that the response was racist, adding: "I think one person made the assumption, and everybody else followed that assumption." He expressed disappointment in the reaction, stating, "It isn’t a good reflection on our city. It’s not something I want our city to be known for."
The incident has been deemed "deeply concerning" by Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North, who called for a review of security arrangements for the remainder of the Pakistan under-19s tour.
