Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes said he did not expect the second cricket test between England and Pakistan to be affected following nearby weekend riots between whites and Asians.
``We had a similar situation when India played Pakistan here in the World Cup in 1999,‘’ Cumbes said on Tuesday.
``There was a lot of talk about race riots and burning down the stadium but we said nothing like that would happen and we were proved right.‘’
British authorities have blamed the trouble in Oldham, which saw white and mainly Bangladeshi and Pakistani youths battling each other and the police in the worst racial clashes for years, on white extremists from outside the area.
England host Pakistan in the second test starting on Thursday at Old Trafford, the home of county side Lancashire. Oldham is roughly 10 miles away.
Cumbes added: ``I’m aware of the problems close to Manchester in Oldham.
``It’s a problem caused by a few people. We are working closely with the police to see if extra precautions need to be taken.‘’
He said he would be worried if white ultra-right activists, who he described as a ``pretty nasty group of people,‘’ attempted to get into the ground during the test match.
``If there was any concern it would be at their infiltration into the ground, but I would hope the police intelligence would be good enough and they will warn us,‘’ he said, adding there were 20 cameras around the ground.
``If people don’t want to come to watch the cricket, don’t bother coming,‘’ he said.