‘Shut up you P***’: Lord’s Long Room members racially abused me, says Australia cricket star Usman Khawaja
Usman Khawaja has accused Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) members of racially abusing him in Lord’s Long Room in 2023.
The Australian cricketer, who retired from the international game earlier this year, lifted the lid on the ugly Ashes incident in his new book Sabr in addition to his bombshell revelation that all the players were complicit in the Sandpapergate scandal of 2018.
Khawaja has recounted his version of events from the aftermath of Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal three years ago that infuriated the wicketkeeper and England fans at the time.
The furore had erupted when Bairstow wandered out of his crease at the end of an over – believing the ball was dead – only to be run out by Australia wicket-keeper Alex Carey who under-armed the ball at the stumps. The reaction was one of pure rage and members of the MCC in the Long Room disgraced themselves when the Australians walked past them at the lunch interval.
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***ing that”, “***** 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? (infamous Edgbaston stand). And no disrespect to the Hollies, because they never treated us like this.
‘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. It got worse. “Don’t you dare scream in my ear again, you d***head”, I said to the first guy. Then as I walked on, and I heard someone else say, “Shut up, you P***’”, I lost it.
MCC members angrily confronted Usman Khawaja as players headed for lunch at Lord’s in 2023 (above). Khawaja has said he was racially abused
‘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 guy out of here!”‘
Khawaja added that some members tried to trip him and Warner from behind the dividing rope in the Long Room in the febrile atmosphere.
After a four-month investigation into the incident, the MCC announced sanctions for three members. One was banned for two-and-a-half years, another for four-and-a-half years and the worst perpetrator was expelled from the club for life.
Khawaja also said a member of the Australian coaching staff’s child was brought to tears by the hostility from the crowd that day and his brother-in-law almost had a physical altercation.
The batsman added that his wife, Rachel, feared violence in the stands, adding: ‘For the first time in her life she was genuinely worried that someone was going to hurt her.’
At the time, camera footage showed Khawaja embroiled in the confrontation in the Long Room as boos rang out and shouts of ‘absolute disgrace’ were heard.
The scenes in the Lord’s pavilion – usually associated with class, etiquette and respect – sparked a heated reaction online, with some fans slamming the Australians for showing such ‘little regard for spirit of the game’, while others blasted the MCC members.
Khawaja had previously spoken about the scene in the Long Room that day but his book ‘Sabr’ is the first time he has made the allegation of racist abuse.
The Lord’s Long Room is supposed to be associated with class and etiquette but abuse was given out in ugly scenes back in 2023
The cricketer has previously explained he was not fully aware of how offensive the racist word ‘P***’ was until 2010 when a UK customs official questioned him being part of the travelling Australian team and he used his own similar abbreviation to say who they were playing against, to the shock of the airport official.
Of the controversial run out itself, Khawaja explained how it unfolded on the field, writing: ‘I saw Patty (Cummins) look at Alex (Carey) and mimic an underarm throw. Carey nodded – he knew exactly what Pat was talking about. Next ball was a bouncer. Jonny ducked, and as soon as the ball went into Carey’s gloves, he underarmed it instantly into the stumps.
‘As the ball was midway there, Jonny decided — as he did a lot — to just walk out of his crease. The timing could not have been more perfect.
Khawaja said Bairstow complained, “you guys aren’t seriously claiming that, are you?” before retorting, “Jonny, you literally tried to do the same thing to Marnus in the first innings!”
Tempers flared between the teams after Jonny Bairstow was sneakily dismissed
Khawaja’s book has caused a huge stir and also reopened the wounds of Sandpapergate after he claimed the whole team knew about the ball-tampering that Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner were punished for.
The revelation, eight years after the infamous incident against South Africa, has sparked fresh calls to punish the rest of the side who supposedly allowed their team-mates to be thrown under the bus.
Despite Khawaja’s account, which has been backed up by Warner, Cricket Australia say they have no intention of reopening the investigation.
READ: Now go after the rest of the cheating Aussies: Usman Khawaja’s explosive claims bring more shame onto a team who were cowardly as well as complicit – they must surely be punished and captain Pat Cummins cannot escape, writes OLIVER HOLT
