ECB Reviews Pakistan Under-19 Security After Portsmouth Hotel Protest

The England and Wales Cricket Board is reviewing security arrangements for Pakistan Under-19s after anti-immigration protesters gathered outside the touring team's hotel in Portsmouth. The Guardian reported that the gathering ended after those present were told that the young men at the Marriott Hotel were members of a visiting cricket squad, rather than asylum seekers.

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The incident followed a large protest in Portsmouth on Sunday after a dinghy carrying an estimated 140 asylum seekers reached Eastney harbour. According to The Guardian, online posts about a coach and a group of young Asian men at the hotel brought protesters back onto the streets the following day, while tensions in the city remained high after the earlier demonstration.

George Madgwick, leader of the Reform UK group on Hampshire County Council, said he was called to the hotel and spoke with its manager. In an account reported by The Guardian, Madgwick said the hotel identified the guests as a Pakistani cricket team and that the team's coach provided proof. He put the size of the gathering at between 40 and 50 people and said it dispersed within five minutes after he explained the situation.

A Stand Up to Racism spokesperson condemned the gathering in comments given to the Portsmouth News and carried by The Guardian. The organisation said mobilising whenever people become suspicious of a non-white group was dangerous and described the incident as racism in action. Madgwick, by contrast, said he was pleased to have prevented tensions from escalating and defended the local residents' motives.

The sporting response has now moved beyond the hotel. The Guardian reported that the ECB contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board to check on the wellbeing of the players and staff involved. England's governing body is also reviewing the security provisions for the remainder of the Under-19 tour, although no specific changes were detailed in the report.

Pakistan Under-19s lost a four-day match against England Under-19s by 10 runs last week. They were scheduled to play the same opponents in a one-day match at Arundel on Wednesday, about 25 miles from Portsmouth, before a final one-day international at Guildford on Saturday. Pakistan's senior men's side is also in England and is contesting the third and final Test of its series at Edgbaston.