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Former Australia National Cricket Team opening batter Usman Khawaja has made a shocking revelation about the ugly scenes at Lord's during the 2023 Ashes series in England. The incident took place when Australian players were returning to the dressing room during the lunch break on the fifth day of the second Test against England at Lord’s.
In his newly released autobiography Sabr, Usman Khawaja has alleged that he faced racial abuse from a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) following Jonny Bairstow's controversial dismissal in the second Test. Read Also: Usman Khawaja's book tour faces changes after fiery ABC interview.
Usman Khawaja makes shocking racial abuse claims against MCC Member over 2023 Ashes Test
Usman Khawaja has shared disturbing details about the behaviour of some Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members inside the famous Lord's Long Room. The former batter has claimed that he and his teammates were targeted with abusive and racist comments.
The controversy started after Bairstow was dismissed in an unusual fashion by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Bairstow had left his crease, believing the ball was dead, but Carey quickly collected the ball and removed the bails. The dismissal angered the English supporters, who heavily booed the Australian players as they walked back to the pavilion.
Television footage from Sky Sports showed Khawaja stopping to confront an MCC member during the heated situation. He was also seen informing security staff about another member before continuing towards the Australian dressing room.
Usman Khawaja reveals how Australian players were abused inside Lord's Long Room
Now, in his autobiography, Usman Khawaja claimed that one person shouted a racist slur at him, using a highly offensive term against people of South Asian origin. However, he made it clear that he could not identify that exact person. Khawaja also described the behavior of the members as extremely disrespectful and said they appeared to have lost control after drinking.
Usman Khawaja wrote: “It was like a pack of dogs about to feast on their next meals. They were in unison, swearing, calling us 'F-ing this' and 'F-that' and 'C-nts this.' I couldn't believe what I was hearing. At first, I just laughed, mostly in shock. Was this the Long Room? Part of the most prestigious, noble cricket club in the world, where the waiting list was over 30 years? Or were we with the Hollies [Edgbaston's notorious party stand]? And no disrespect to the Hollies, because they never treated us like this.”
Usman Khawaja further explained that the situation became so uncomfortable that he had to confront one of the people standing close to him. He revealed that the person was shouting and spitting while abusing him from a very short distance, and he immediately asked the security staff to remove that individual from the area.
Khawaja claims MCC member tried to trip him and David Warner
The Australian batter also made another serious allegation, claiming that an MCC member tried to trip him and David Warner while they were climbing the stairs towards the dressing room.
Usman shared, “As we kept walking, I pulled up when someone shouted right into my ear—as there was only a rope and about 20 centimeters between us. 'Don't you dare scream in my ear again, you dickhead,' I said to the first guy. As I continued walking, I heard someone else say, 'Shut up, you P**i,' and at that moment, I lost it.”
The former opening batter added, "I don't know who this was exactly. I want to clarify that I know a few people got bans from the MCC. All I know is I confronted the first bloke I saw, who I thought it was. He was still shouting, spitting, and screaming in my face, so I could only assume it was him. I told security, 'Get this person out of here!'”
Khawaja further shared that he initially played down the seriousness of the incidents while speaking to Australia's security manager Frank Dimasi because he did not want the controversy to distract the team from its efforts to win the Test match.
Read Also: David Warner backs Chris Broad's dig at Darren Lehmann over 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
Khawaja slams MCC Members for abusive behaviour
The MCC had already taken action against three unnamed members immediately after the match because of their unacceptable behavior. Following an investigation, the club announced further punishments four months later. One member was permanently expelled, while the other two received bans of four-and-a-half years and two-and-a-half years.
Khawaja also revealed that MCC chair Mark Nicholas later asked him about the punishments given to the members. Interestingly, the Australian batter felt that they should be allowed another opportunity if they had understood their mistakes and genuinely regretted their behavior.
The incident also affected Khawaja's family. He described the Lord's crowd as extremely angry and claimed that his wife, Rachel, felt scared while watching the match from the stands. He also revealed that his brother-in-law nearly got involved in a physical fight with an England fan.
Despite all the drama, Australia managed to win the second Test by 43 runs. Well, the MCC has declined to comment on Khawaja's latest allegations but pointed out that it had treated the incident seriously and handed out strong punishments at the time.
