An MCC member got a life ban for abusing the Australians at Lord’s. Now the penalty is under review
“As long as he learns from this,” Khawaja said. “I’m a big believer in second chances as long as you learn from your mistakes.
“If these guys have learned from their mistakes and will never spray players walking 30cm from the pitch, that’s fine.
Usman Khawaja in front of the Lord’s mansion after the second Ashes Test in 2023.Credit: Getty
“But there needs to be some sort of remorse and understanding, and that’s for the MCC. I’m all for second chances, I’m not a guy who holds grudges, but I think you need to learn from your mistakes and avoid making them again.”
The common area between members and players in the Lord’s Long Room and stairwells has since been much more tightly regulated due to fears that international teams would attempt to remove members from the areas during breaks in play.
One of the things that delighted Khawaja most at the time was the sense of empowerment expressed by the members he interacted with. “I can say whatever I want,” one of them told him.
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Immediately afterwards, Khawaja revealed how hurt he was by this incident.
“It was really disappointing,” he said. “A few of them were making some pretty big claims and I called them out on it and they went ahead and said ‘that’s your membership here.’
“So I’m just pointing the finger at them. But honestly, it’s pretty disrespectful. I expect much better from the members.”
There was anger within the MCC itself over the behavior of some members, and the day’s events came on the heels of a report portraying the club as an example of unwelcome elitism in English cricket.
The Independent Commission for Equality in Cricket’s report, issued two days before the start of the 2023 Lord’s Test, said in part:
“MCC may be a private members’ club where some members may resent ‘interference’ with their right to make their own decisions, but it is also a club that generates significant amounts of money from the public through ticket sales for big matches, with all the publicity and prestige.”
Jonny Bairstow was stunned by Alex Carey.Credit: Getty Images
The report said the club’s push to hold certain matches, such as the annual matches between Oxford and Cambridge Universities and Eton v Harrow schools, “reinforces the view, whether fair or not, that MCC members are out of touch, elitist and unrepresentative of both the wider population and cricketing public”.
The MCC has a waiting list of approximately 29 years for full membership of the club, while associate membership with limited access rights has a waiting list of approximately seven to nine years. It has more than 18,000 full members and approximately 6,000 substitute members.
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Following ugly scenes in the Long Room during the lunch break, the club’s then-CEO Guy Lavender addressed members and called for improved behavior. Lavender left the club last year and was replaced by Robert Lawson.
“The Long Room is unique in world cricket and the immense privilege enjoyed by players passing through the pavilion is very special,” Lavender said at the time. “We have unreservedly apologized to the Australian team and will deal with any member who fails to maintain the standard we expect through our disciplinary processes.”
MCC’s then-president, Bruce Carnegie-Brown, said the members caught on camera “brought shame to the MCC”.
Carnegie-Brown retired from the presidency in 2024 and was replaced by Mark Nicholas.
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