Masked protesters mistook the Pakistan U-19 cricket team for asylum seekers in Portsmouth

Pakistan U-19 Cricket Team A group of masked protesters gathered outside a four-star hotel in Portsmouth after they mistakenly believed a group of asylum seekers had been taken there. They later found out that the people staying at the hotel were members of Pakistan’s under-19 cricket team.About 40 people, many wearing hoods or other face coverings, gathered outside the Marriott hotel Tuesday night. Protesters reportedly saw a group of men they believed to be asylum seekers arriving at the hotel.George Madgwick, a reform councilor whose ward includes the hotel, was called to the scene to help resolve the situation. He spoke to the hotel manager, who explained that the men were Pakistani under-19 cricketers who were on tour in England and were using the Marriott as their base.Madgwick also spoke to the team’s coach and evidence was shown that the group were cricketers.“I went out to the protesters and said, ‘You’ve got it wrong guys, it’s a cricket club.’ They left within minutes. It was an extremely unfortunate incident,” Madgwick told The Guardian.He said the misunderstanding occurred partly because the coach carrying the players was operated by the same company that transported asylum seekers who had recently arrived in Portsmouth by boat.“From the perspective of the people of Portsmouth who are already on high alert, it was a coach from the same company that turned up with about 40 strange men,” Madgwick said.The incident came after tensions rose in Portsmouth following the arrival of asylum seekers in small boats from France. On Sunday evening, hundreds of people, many wearing hoods, clashed with police in the city. The police are investigating possible bodily harm and damage to property.A day earlier, mobs in black and balaclava blocked a road near the port of Dover. Far-right activist Daniel Thomas, who is closely linked to Tommy Robinson, said he organized both demonstrations.Madgwick said he understood the concerns of local residents but acknowledged the incident was far from ideal.“It doesn’t make our city look like the welcoming city that it is. But it reflects the climate we live in and where people care deeply about these issues,” he said.Madgwick had previously posted on Facebook asking people to stay away from the hotel after residents contacted him about what they believed to be migrants staying there. He later set the post to private after it drew abusive comments.The England and Wales Cricket Board has since contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board to check on the welfare of the players and is reviewing security arrangements for the remainder of the team’s tour.Pakistan Under-19 recently faced England Under-19 in a four-day Test and lost by 10 runs. The teams are due to play a one-dayer at Arundel on Wednesday, before another ODI at Guildford on Saturday.The Pakistan senior men’s team is also currently in England for the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston.