Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja has alleged that he was subjected to racial abuse by a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) during the 2023 Ashes Test at Lord's.
In his autobiography Sabr, Khawaja recalled being targeted with a racial slur in the Lord's Long Room after the controversial dismissal of England batter Jonny Bairstow.
According to Cricinfo, the incident took place during the lunch interval on the fifth day of the second Test, as Australian players made their way back to the pavilion amid boos and verbal abuse from spectators.
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Khawaja alleged that an MCC member told him to "shut up, you P**i" as the players walked through the Long Room.
"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', '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,” he said.
"As we kept walking, I pulled up when someone shouted right into my ear - as there was only a rope and about 20 centimetres between us. 'Don't you dare scream in my ear again, you d******d,' I said to the first guy. Then as I walked on, and I heard someone else say, 'Shut up, you P**i,' I lost it," he said.
What Happened In Lord's Long Room?
Footage broadcast by Sky Sports during the match showed Khawaja stopping to confront an MCC member as the Australian players made their way through the Long Room. He was also seen alerting stewards about another member before heading towards the visiting team's dressing room.
Recounting the incident in Sabr, Khawaja said that MCC members had directed repeated profanities at the Australian players.
He recalled yelling in the ear of one member he confronted and then being racially slurred by another man.
The former Australia opener said he snapped at the racial remark that prompted him to respond to the abuse.
However, Khawaja said he could not identify the person who allegedly used the racial slur. He added that he had confronted the first member whom he believed was responsible for the incident.
MCC Took Action Against Three Members
Following the Test three members were suspended by the MCC for their behavior during the incident.
One member was expelled by the club after an investigation and the other two were banned for four-and-a-half years and two-and-a-half years.
The incident followed the controversial dismissal of Bairstow, which had angered sections of the Lord's crowd and sparked heated exchanges involving Australian players.
Australia Won The Lord's Test
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Despite the controversy surrounding Bairstow's dismissal and the subsequent confrontation in the Long Room, Australia went on to win the second Ashes Test at Lord's by 43 runs.
The victory gave Australia a 2-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series against England.
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