Told To Cover Pakistani Jersey, Man Says ‘Take Me By Force' At India-England Match

News18

4 days ago

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A video showed a man wearing a green Pakistan shirt at the India-England Test match in Manchester, and he was told by stadium officials to cover it up.
As India managed a spectacular draw against England during the fourth Test match at Old Trafford, a video went viral showing security officials confronting a man who was wearing a Pakistan cricket jersey and asking him to cover it.
The video, widely shared on social media platforms, showed a man wearing a green Pakistan shirt while watching the India-England Test match in Manchester. A security official told the man to cover up his shirt.
The man refused to comply and asked for a written order. The matter escalated when more security officials approached him and told him that the jerseys of non-participating countries were not permitted in the venue.
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'This is my proud country. Why are you covering this? Like, everybody's representing their country. No, no. Take me by force if you can, because everybody will record this. They are taking me without any reason, any harm," the man was heard saying in the video.
The man argued that he had paid for the tickets and no Indian crowd had complained about his attire. A female security official was heard politely asking him to have a chat outside the crowd.
The video sparked divisive responses online, with some saying that the action was discriminatory and unnecessary. However, some netizens cited official rules saying that only flags, clothing and banners related to England or India cricket teams were permitted in the stadium.
Old Trafford has a policy in place for international matches in which fans are instructed to wear clothing that supports the participating teams, which is India and England in this case.
'What is so difficult to understand about this? It could cause fights etc. So why would you wear not just any other top but that of the biggest rivals (on and off the pitch) of India's," a user said. 'He knew this would cause an issue. Attention seeker with nothing better to do. Cover it up or instant removal from the ground," another person wrote.
The incident has also come days after the abandoned World Championship of Legends match between India Champions and Pakistan Champions, due to tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack and India's Operation Sindoor.
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