Usman Khawaja Alleges Racial Abuse at Lord's During Ashes Series

Allegations of Racial Abuse at Lord's

Sydney, Australia - On November 11, former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has claimed he faced racial slurs from a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the Long Room at Lord's. This incident reportedly occurred following the contentious dismissal of England's Jonny Bairstow during the 2023 Ashes series, as reported by a sports news outlet.

In his autobiography titled 'Sabr', Khawaja recounted that an MCC member yelled at him to 'shut up, you P**i' while Australian players were returning to the pavilion amidst a chorus of boos and insults from the crowd during the lunch break on the fifth day of the second Test.

Footage aired by Sky Sports captured Khawaja confronting an MCC member as the Australian team passed through the Long Room. He was also seen notifying stewards about another individual before proceeding to the dressing room.

Describing the scene in his book, Khawaja mentioned that the members hurled continuous insults at the Australian players. He recalled an incident where one member shouted directly in his ear, followed by another using a racial epithet, which caused him to react angrily.

'It felt like a pack of dogs ready to pounce on their next meal. They were all shouting profanities, calling us 'F-ing this' and 'F-that', and 'C-nts this'. I was in disbelief. Initially, I laughed, mostly out of shock. Was this really the Long Room of the most esteemed cricket club in the world, where the waiting list spans over 30 years? Or were we at the Hollies [Edgbaston’s infamous party stand]? No offense to the Hollies, as they never treated us like this,' he expressed.

'As we continued walking, I stopped when someone yelled right into my ear, with only a rope and about 20 centimeters separating us. I told the first guy, 'Don’t you dare scream in my ear again, you dickhead.' Then, as I moved on, I heard another shout, 'Shut up, you P**i,' and I lost my temper,' he added.

Khawaja clarified that he could not pinpoint the individual who allegedly made the racial remark, stating he confronted the first person he suspected.

'I can't say who it was exactly. I want to make it clear that I know several individuals received bans from the MCC. I confronted the first guy I thought was responsible. He was still shouting and spitting in my face, so I assumed it was him. I told security, 'Get this guy out of here!'"

Following the incident, the MCC suspended three members for their misconduct, expelling one and issuing bans of four-and-a-half and two-and-a-half years to the other two after an investigation.

In the end, Australia triumphed in the Test match by 43 runs.