The Ashes, England v Australia: Usman Khawaja tells security to remove heckler after Bairstow wicket

Usman Khawaja was seen identifying MCC members he wanted ejected from Lord’s and was filmed pointing at one spectator and telling security: ‘Make sure you get him kicked out’.

Australia’s opening batsman was seen remonstrating with England fans in the Long Room after the stumping of Jonny Bairstow. 

Incandescent members of the MCC had barracked the Australian cricket team as they returned to their dressing room in the second Ashes test that saw the Aussies take a 2-0 lead in the best of five series. MCC members packed the Long Room, and stairways close to the Australian dressing room, to boo them and call them cheats.

Khawaja appeared furious with something one man had told him, identifying him to a security guard and shouting: ‘Make sure you have him kicked out specifically’. He then pointed at another man and said: ‘Him too’.

He spoke after the match but did not reveal what was said to him, describing it as ‘pretty disrespectful’ and ‘really disappointing’. Defending his own anger in the Long Room he said he ‘wasn’t just going to stand by and cop’ abuse. ‘Lord’s is one of my favourite places to come. There’s always respect shown at Lord’s, particularly in the Members Pavilion in the Long Room, but there wasn’t today. It was very disappointing’, he said.

The manner of Bairstow’s dismissal has rocked the sport – and sparked angry scenes at Lord’s yesterday – after the stumping of England’s wicket keeper was branded against the ‘spirit of the game’. Three members of the MCC, whose privileged number include some of the richest and most powerful people in Britain with Stephen Fry as president, have been suspended after several Australian players were ‘verbally abused’ or ‘physically contacted’.

Alex Carey of Australia stumps Jonny Bairstow of England in a dismissal considered not in the spirit of the game

‘If anyone asked me where the best place is to play I always say Lord’s. The crowd is great, particularly the members are great, and some of the stuff that was coming out of the members’ mouths is really disappointing and I wasn’t just going stand by and cop it. So I just talked to a few of them.

‘A few of them were throwing out some pretty big allegations and I just called them up on it and they kept going, and I was like, well, this is your membership here. So I’m just pointing them out. But it’s pretty disrespectful, to be honest. I just expect a lot better from the members.’

‘They will not be permitted back to Lord’s whilst the investigation takes place,’ the MCC said in a statement.

The row started when Bairstow walked from his crease to speak to Ben Stokes believing the over was finished. But wicketkeeper Alex Carey hurled the ball at his stumps and he was given out. Australia’s captain Pat Cummins decided not to revoke the appeal to give Bairstow a reprieve – sparking chaos and controversy at the Home of Cricket. Cummins later insisted the stumping was ‘fair’ but the usually sedate MCC members disagreed.

Australia were booed for the remainder of the day by the 32,000 fans at Lords and in unprecedented scenes Australian stars David Warner and Usman Khawaja had to be separated from MCC members by security in the world famous Lord’s Long Room.

MCC members then lined the famous stairs to yell abuse at the celebrating Australians as they returned to their dressing room shouting ‘cheat, cheat, cheat’ at them. There were repeated yells of ‘sandpaper’ to the players – a reference to the 2018 ball-tampering scandal where Steve Smith and others rubbed sandpaper on the ball to make it make it swing more.

Aussie cricket players make their way up the stairs at Lord’s while being abused by members in scenes that saw three patrons suspended by the Marylebone Cricket Club

The row in the Long Room is unprecedented

Speaking afterwards, defeated England captain Ben Stokes said: ‘Would I want to win a game in that manner? No. If the shoe was on the other foot I’d have had a think about the whole spirit of the game’. England coach Brendon McCullum said of relations with the Australians: ‘I can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer any time soon.’

And on the pitch before the defeat, an irate Stuart Broad told told Cummins: ‘That’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen in cricket’ before turning to Carey and warning him: ‘That’s all you’ll ever be remembered for’.

Since then three of those members have been identified and suspended from the exclusive club.

The incident involving Bairstow also brought back memories of the 2013 Ashes series when Stuart Broad refused to walk despite obviously being out.

Broad took a huge nick off an Ashton Agar delivery that was safely caught by former skipper Michael Clarke in the slips.

However, it was given not out by umpire Aleem Dar and the Aussies had no reviews left to challenge.

Broad has maintained to this day that he had no obligation to walk and said after that match: ‘Those things aren’t remembered. It’s winning the series that will be remembered. We do have a win-at-all-costs mentality.’

A Cricket Australia spokesman said: ‘Australian management has requested the Marylebone Cricket Club [MCC] investigate several incidents involving spectators in the members area during lunch on day five of the Lord’s Test.

‘It is alleged players and staff from the Australian team were verbally abused, with some being physically contacted, as they made their way to lunch through the members area.’

The stumping sparked booing and angry scenes in Lord’s

Aussie skipper Pat Cummins celebrates the prize wicket of Jonny Bairstow – but English fans were left incensed by his stumping and let the tourists know all about it

New video footage showed the MCC members shouting at the Australians, with one angry supporting pointing to each individual member of the team and yelling ‘cheat’ at them.

Another member bellowed at them ‘get the sandpaper’ in reference to the infamous Cape Town ball tampering scandal of 2019 that saw David Warner and Steve Smith suspended for a year.

More inaudible insults continued to ring out as the chanting got louder and more intense, with the Aussies moving up the stairs to their changing rooms at a rapid pace.

‘It’s just not cricket and certainly not in the spirit of the game. Shame MCC shame,’ one posted.

‘The members of the long room should be ashamed of themselves! The veneer of respectability comes off very easily,’ posted another.

‘Cricket has an elitism problem and these members are living proof, embarrassing,’ added another.

One particularly angry English supporter was pointing to each individual member of the Aussie team and yelling ‘cheat’ at them.

Another member bellowed at the Aussies ‘get the sandpaper’ in reference to the infamous Cape Town ball tampering scandal of 2019 that saw David Warner and Steve Smith suspended for a year by Cricket Australia.

More inaudible insults continue to ring out as the chanting gets louder and more intense, the Aussies moving up the stairs to their change rooms at a rapid pace.

While the members were remonstrating against Aussie wicketkeeper Alex Carey’s actions and skipper Pat Cummins for not revoking the appeal, many fans believed the abuse was far worse than the tourists’ tactics. 

‘It’s just not cricket and certainly not in the spirit of the game. Shame MCC shame,’ one posted.

‘The members of the long room should be ashamed of themselves! The veneer of respectability comes off very easily,’ posted another.

‘Cricket has an elitism problem and these members are living proof, embarrassing,’ added another.

Broad also rebuked the Australians