Former Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja has revealed that he was subjected to racist remarks by a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) following the controversial run-out of Jonny Bairstow during the 2023 Ashes series at Lord’s.
In his autobiography, Sabr, Khawaja details the incident, noting that as the Australian players were returning to the pavilion during the lunch break, some MCC members in the Lord’s Long Room used abusive language and hurled insults at him and his teammates.
Footage broadcast by Sky Sports showed Khawaja stopping to confront one of the members; he was later seen pointing out another individual to the stewards to report his behavior.
According to Khawaja, at one point, he was told to “keep quiet” and “shut up.” However, he could not definitively identify which member had made those specific remarks.
In his book, he writes that these members revealed their true colors, behaving like “a mob of entitled drunks” while hurling abuse at the Australian players.
Describing the scene, the former Test opener wrote that the individuals present were acting in such a coordinated, aggressive manner—resembling a pack of dogs ready to pounce on their prey—that, initially, he could only laugh in sheer shock and disbelief.
It is worth noting that, in the immediate aftermath of the Lord’s Test, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) suspended three members for their inappropriate conduct. Following an investigation, one member was expelled from the club four months later, while two other members were handed bans of four-and-a-half years and two-and-a-half years, respectively.
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