Usman Khawaja says he was racially abused during Ashes match — BBC Sport

Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja said that a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) racially abused him during the second Test match of the 2023 Ashes series at Lord's. The athlete wrote about this in his recently published autobiography, BBC Sport reports.

Confrontation in the Long Room

The incident occurred after the controversial dismissal of England's Jonny Bairstow by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Television footage at the time showed Khawaja and David Warner clashing with spectators as the Australian players were heading to the lunch break.

According to Khawaja, one person present was shouting, spitting and behaving aggressively in his face. He also claims that another MCC member tried to trip him and Warner on the stairs. Near the dressing room, the cricketer saw a group of club members and asked whether this was Lord's or a zoo.

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Sanctions from the MCC

After the incident, the MCC expelled one club member and suspended two others. All three were found guilty of abusive, unacceptable or inappropriate behaviour or remarks. One of the suspended club members received a sanction of four and a half years, while the other received 30 months.

Khawaja ended his international career in January. He played 88 Test matches for Australia and scored 6,229 runs.