Highlights
- Around 30 protesters gathered outside the hotel in Portsmouth
- Pakistan’s Under-19 players were mistaken for asylum seekers
- Players reported people knocking on their hotel doors
- England and Wales Cricket Board reviewing team security
PAKISTAN's Under-19 cricket team was mistakenly targeted by anti-immigration protesters who gathered outside their hotel in Portsmouth, believing a coach carrying the young players was bringing asylum seekers.
Around 30 protesters assembled outside the Marriott Hotel in Cosham, a northern suburb of Portsmouth, on Tuesday (8) evening after reports circulated online about a coach carrying young Asian men.
The men were in fact members of Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team, who are touring England.
A Reform UK county councillor, George Madgwick, went to the hotel and helped disperse the crowd after the mistake became clear, according to British media reports.
Hampshire Police said officers were alerted that a group of people had begun gathering near the hotel.
“Officers subsequently attended and spoke to members of the public that had gathered who were expressing concerns about a coach that had been seen in the area,” a force spokesperson said.
Police told the crowd that their concerns were misplaced. The group left shortly afterwards, and no offences were identified.
Abdul Subhan of Pakistan U19 (no10) celebrates with team mates after dismissing Leo Selvey-Clinton of England U19 during day 1 of the U19 Test match between England and Pakistan at Arundel Castle Cricket Club Ground on September 02, 2026 in Arundel, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
The incident took a more serious turn for the young cricketers, however, with Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Sumair Syed telling the BBC that players reported people “knocking on their doors”.
Syed said the players behaved responsibly and did not escalate the situation. He described the incident as “unfortunate” and said he had been in contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board, which had assured the Pakistan board that measures would be taken to protect the team.
ECB reviews security
The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed that it is reviewing security arrangements for the remainder of Pakistan Under-19s' tour and has contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Pakistan continued with their scheduled match the following day and won by 177 runs.
The bizarre confrontation came only about 48 hours after anti-migrant protesters in Portsmouth disrupted the arrival of asylum seekers brought ashore near the port. Hundreds of protesters were reported to have clashed with police during Sunday's demonstrations.
Immigration has become a politically charged issue in Britain, with tens of thousands of asylum seekers arriving each year in small boats from mainland Europe. Protests against asylum accommodation have taken place in several parts of the country, with some leading to violence.
Michael Bradley, a national organiser with Stand Up To Racism, said the Portsmouth incident showed the consequences of portraying refugees and migrants as a threat.
“When a Pakistan U-19's team is faced by protests because it 'might' in fact be a group of migrants,” he said, it meant “any group of black or Asian people coming into the city” could be viewed by the far right as a potential target.
He warned that such scapegoating could lead to “racist attacks and more violence”.
Madgwick defended the protesters, saying on X that they had gone to the hotel “by accident” after believing migrants had been brought there and had left once they discovered the mistake.
He also argued that the protests would stop if the government dealt with the small-boat crossings.
Pakistan’s senior men's team is separately in England for a Test series, with the third Test against England taking place at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
