Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:34pm on 10 Sep 2026,Thursday Sports
Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team was mistakenly identified as a group of asylum seekers after anti-immigration protesters gathered outside their hotel in Portsmouth, England. Around 40–50 protesters reportedly assembled near the Marriott hotel following social-media claims about foreign nationals staying there. The group was actually Pakistan’s youth cricket squad, visiting England for a tour. Reform UK councillor George Madgwick contacted the hotel, confirmed the team’s identity and informed the protesters, who then dispersed peacefully. The England and Wales Cricket Board subsequently contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board to check on the players’ welfare and said it would review security arrangements.
