The Pakistan Under-19 squad came into the spotlight at the British port city of Portsmouth when they were mistaken for a group of asylum seekers.
Reports said there was confusion when a crowd of approximately 40 people came to a Portsmouth Marriott hotel.
The crowd had reportedly assumed that the group was comprised of asylum-seekers, and led a protest outside the hotel.
Due to this misunderstanding, there was a tense situation as the protesters gathered outside the building.
Reform Party Councillor George Madgwick stepped in to explain and called the hotel to find out what had occurred.
He spoke to the coach of Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team later and confirmed that the group at the hotel was not an asylum group, but rather was a visiting cricketing team.
Once clarified that the group was not asylum seekers, the protesters were said to have dispersed in mere minutes.
This was a very unfortunate incident, as a lot of unnecessary tension had arisen outside the hotel due to the misunderstanding, Madgwick added.
However, after that, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had reached out to Pakistan cricket authorities. Security of the Pakistan Under-19 team is also being looked into after the incident.
The Pakistan Under-19s are currently on an England tour, where they are playing England Under-19s.
Pakistan faced England Under-19 in a four-day match in Pakistan from 2nd to 5th September, where they lost by 10 runs. But the young Pakistani side came out with flying colours in the Youth ODI on September 9.
Pakistan Under-19 boys performed admirably in this match, lifting their spirits after losing the four-day match with a thrilling win.
The strange event in Portsmouth has now catapulted the team into the spotlight, and cricket officials are taking measures to ensure the youngsters’ safety and security in England.