On Tuesday evening, roughly 30 to 40 individuals gathered at the Marriott Hotel in Cosham, Portsmouth, following false reports that a coach carrying migrants had come through. The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that a group made their way to the hotel floor where members of the Pakistan under-19 cricket team were staying.
What happened at the hotel
Sumair Syed, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board, confirmed that the players reported people “knocking on their doors” during the incident. He also confirmed that the team “behaved responsibly and didn’t escalate the situation,”.
The police force in Hampshire said they found no wrongdoing after searching through the matter, and the group left the area by about 21:00 BST. Even though there was trouble at their hotel, the players took part in a scheduled match the next day.
Online reports that a coach with migrants had arrived at the hotel drew a gathering, though it turned out the guests inside were not migrants at all. The people outside had mistaken the Pakistan under-19 cricket team for migrants, an error that proved true.
The false rumour
According to George Madgwick, a Reform county councillor who was at the scene, the trouble began when a photograph of a coach full of people who appeared to be foreign nationals was posted online by one person who saw them getting off the vehicle.
Madgwick said hotel staff showed him “proof” the guests were the touring cricket team. He urged people online not to attend.
“Someone online saw a group of what looked like foreign nationals leaving the coach and put a photo of it online and that’s where it spurred from,” Madgwick told the BBC.
“It was mere speculation rather than based on truth or fact. In this case they have made a grave error, a grave mistake.”
The idea started with a single post, and Madgwick said that is where the assumption began to spread. “I think one person made the assumption and everybody else followed that assumption,” he said.
The cricket board’s response
Syed described the incident as “unfortunate.” He said he was in contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which had “assured us that every possible measure should be taken for the security of the escort.”
“This is the responsibility of the whole sport to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the visiting team,” he said. “They are on it and we are hopeful that nothing of such sort will happen in the future.”
Syed did not go into more detail about what the people who arrived at the hotel actually said. He stated that the players acted responsibly throughout the incident and did not make the situation worse, even though others were knocking on their doors.
Political reaction
Labour MP Amanda Martin for Portsmouth North described the incident as “deeply concerning.”. She said it was “completely unacceptable that misinformation has led to young cricketers visiting our city being wrongly targeted.”.
Two days after hundreds of demonstrators closed roads in Portsmouth, a crowd gathered at the Marriott Hotel in Cosham. That earlier demonstration had followed the arrival of a vessel carrying around 120 people in the city. The meeting itself happened against a background of local friction tied to the arrival of migrants.
Madgwick’s denial
Madgwick pushed back against claims that the response to the cricketers’ arrival was rooted in racism, responding to criticism and comments on his Facebook post about the incident.
“It isn’t a good reflection on our city. It’s not something I want our city to be known for,” he said.
Security review
The BBC has learned that the ECB has checked on the welfare of the Pakistan under-19s squad. The board is now looking into security plans for the rest of their tour.
The ECB has told the Pakistan Cricket Board that every possible measure will be taken to secure the escort, according to Syed, who added that keeping the safety, security and well-being of the visiting team is a duty carried by the entire sport.
The Marriott Hotel Portsmouth declined to comment.
How the situation unfolded
A chain of occurrences reveals how rapidly a tale spread drew people together at the inn.
- Someone posted a photo online of people leaving a coach near the hotel.
- Others followed that assumption, believing the passengers were migrants rather than cricketers.
- About 30 to 40 people gathered at the hotel on Tuesday evening.
- A group reached the floor where the Pakistan under-19 team was staying.
- Players reported people knocking on their doors.
- Hotel staff showed Madgwick proof the guests were the touring team.
- Hampshire Police attended and found no offences had been committed.
- The crowd dispersed by about 21:00 BST.
- The team played their scheduled match the following day.
The players did not escalate the situation.
What we know
English cricket officials are in touch with the Pakistan Cricket Board as security preparations continue for the rest of the tour. The crowd, estimated at roughly 30 to 40, had dispersed by around 21:00 BST, according to Hampshire Police, which found no offences had been committed. The team proceeded with their match the next day, while the ECB has since checked on the wellbeing of the squad.
A hotel in Portsmouth was targeted by a crowd after a solitary online post drew people there. Someone made a claim, and a following of others took it up without question. The staff stepped forward with evidence showing the truth, and the police confirmed that no offences had been committed.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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