Group entered hotel where Pakistani cricketers mistaken for migrants were staying
Members of the Pakistan under-19 cricket team were harassed at a hotel in Portsmouth after a crowd falsely identified them as migrants. Local police and the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the incident was a case of mistaken identity and that the team remained safe.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the real-world consequences of misinformation and anti-migrant sentiment on public safety and international sporting events.
Image source, Google Image caption, A crowd gathered outside the Marriott Hotel in Cosham amid false rumours migrants had arrived
A group of people reached the hotel floor where members of the Pakistan under-19 cricket team were staying after protesters wrongly believed they were migrants, the Pakistan Cricket Board has said.
About 30 to 40 people congregated at the Marriot Hotel in Cosham, Portsmouth, on Tuesday evening after false rumours circulated that a coach carrying migrants had arrived.
Sumair Syed, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said the team reported people "knocking on their doors" during the incident, but the players "behaved responsibly and didn't escalate the situation".
Hampshire Police said officers found no offences had been committed, and the crowd dispersed by about 21:00 BST.
The team went on to play a scheduled match the following day, Syed said.
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