Professional Cricketers’ Association chief executive Angus Porter has apologised after suggesting Moeen Ali should take the abuse he faced at Edgbaston “as a positive”.

England spinner Moeen was booed by Indian fans during the hosts’ T20 win in Birmingham on Sunday. His father Munir believed it was because of Moeen’s Pakistani background, and police treated it as a “non-crime hate related incident” after an official complaint from a spectator.

In comments that triggered criticism of Porter and the PCA, particularly on social media, Porter said: “His dad offered his view sincerely and I hope it doesn’t stoke the fire because he was just standing up for his boy.

“Take it as a positive, you’d rather be booed than ignored.”

But Porter later acknowledged his attempt to quell the controversy had succeeded only in bringing it back to the fore, and admitted his comments were wrong.

He told the Daily Telegraph: “I made a mistake by suggesting racism does not matter and I do condemn it unreservedly. I started by saying that in the interview but I also tried to play down the situation because Moeen does not want it to become a major issue. But in trying to play it down I succeeded in doing the reverse and I am sorry.

“It is very important that I make it clear that racist behaviour is condemned unequivocally and I am happy to say that.”

Moeen’s father Munir believes the booing had racial undertones and insisted the Birmingham-born spinner should not have to contend with any abuse.

“We are very disappointed with what happened. It should have been a special day,” he told ESPNcricinfo.

“Moeen was playing for his country in the city of his birth. It is the city I was born in and the city my mother was born in. The whole family was looking forward to it and we thought he would receive a warm welcome.

“Instead he was abused from the start.”