Ashes 2023: MCC suspends three Lord’s members after abuse of Australians

The MCC initially played down the incident after Australian players were tripped and booed as they made their way through the Long Room.

Ben Stokes speaks to Pat Cummins after play. Picture: Getty Images.

The MCC has suspended three members after initially playing down ugly incidents in the Long Room at lunch on the fifth day of the Ashes Test. Australian players were tripped and abused as they made their way through the room and up the stairs at the lunch break.

The members of one of cricket’s most elite clubs called the Australians “cheats” for a legitimate stumping of Jonny Bairstow in the morning session.

Pat Cummins said he expected members to be suspended and the MCC had apologised in an earlier statement.

Footage revealed the room, filled by England’s upper classes, behaving appallingly as the players made their way through.

The Australian obtained a letter sent to members after the day’s play.

“Dear Member, We witnessed an unforgettable day of Test cricket today, though another remarkable Ashes performance from Ben Stokes was unable to prevent Australia from securing a 2-0 lead in the series. They deserve our heartiest congratulations.

“Sadly, it may be remembered for other reasons. Many of you will no doubt be aware of events that took place in the Long Room at the conclusion of the morning session.

“We released the following statement this afternoon: ‘The Long Room is unique in world cricket, and the great privilege of players passing through the Pavilion is very special.

Usman Khawaja was pulled back by security after speaking to one the members inside the long room 😳

🗣️ "I've NEVER seen scenes like that!" pic.twitter.com/2RnjiNssfw

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 2, 2023

“After this morning’s play, emotions were running high, and words were unfortunately exchanged with some of the Australia team by a small number of Members.

“We have unreservedly apologised to the Australian Team and will deal with any Member who has not maintained the standard we expect through our disciplinary processes. It was not necessary to eject anyone from the ground, and we are pleased to say that there was no repeat of this as the players resumed the field for this afternoon‘s session.

“Since then, we have commenced work on our response to the situation, with the result that we have now identified three Members as having been directly involved. I have written to each of them this evening to advise that their membership rights have been suspended with immediate effect, pending an investigation.

“At the post-match press conference, the captain of the Australian Team gave no suggestion that there was any physical altercation. I hope that we can look back on the 2023 Australia Test at Lord’s with memories of the extraordinary cricket that took place on the field, rather than some ill-judged comments made off the field. To that end, I ask that Members respect the need for the Club to undertake due process in investigating these matters.

Yours sincerely, Guy Lavender, Chief Executive & Secretary, MCC.”

Fair to say a few of the members at Lords aren’t happy with the… laws of the game? 😂#TheAshes 2nd Test | Live, on Channel 9 & 9Now.#9WWOS#Cricket#Ashes#ENGvsAUSpic.twitter.com/jdkIBHrlLJ

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) July 2, 2023

Pat Cummins said he expected some members to lose their membership when he spoke after play. “The MCC came and apologised for the behaviour of some members, I think some of them might lose their membership over the way they behaved,” he said.

“It was aggressive and abusive toward some of our players.”

The Australian side had earlier requested an investigation after members tried to trip David Warner and Steve Smith. Usman Khawaja stopped in the Long Room and on the stairs to remonstrate with the MCC members during the break.

“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,” the team said in a statement later.

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

McCullum refuses to drink with Aussies after losing

England reacted angrily to losing the second Test accusing Pat Cummins of breaching the game’s spirit.

Brendon McCullum was so upset about the Jonny Bairstow stumping he said he would not be sharing a drink with the opposition any time soon.

For their part, the Australians are delighted to be 2-0 up in the series and defended the way they went about the game.

Cummins did say however that he thought some of the people in the Long Room would lose their membership after ugly scene during the lunch break on the fifth day Lord’s.

While not quite as extreme as the accusations and actions by Indian captain Anil Kumble after losing the 2008 Test at Sydney, relations between the two sides are at a low.

Tempers boiled over after Alex Carey threw down Bairstow’s stumps after the batsman left his crease. England claim it was the end of the over and Stokes said he wouldn’t have wanted to win a game on those terms, but the umpires and the laws of cricket were clear that the ball was in play and the dismissal legitimate.

A clearly angry Stuart Broad continually engaged with the Australians as they left the field to chants of “cheats” before copping the same and physical abuse from members in the Long Room.

“The MCC came and apologised for the behaviour of some members, I think some of them might lose their membership over the way they behaved,” Cummins said.

“It was aggressive and abusive toward some of our players.”

One member thrust a foot out and tried to trip David Warner on the stairs.

Footage showed Usman Khawaja engaging with one member and another group yelling “cheats, cheats” as the Australians made their way past the Long Room and toward the dressing room.

“It’s really disappointing. Lord’s one of my favourite places to come, there’s so much respect shown at Lord’s particularly in the Members Pavilion and in the Long Room,” Khawaja told Channel 9.

“But there wasn’t today. It was very disappointing.

“Some of the stuff that was coming out of members mouth was really disappointing. I wasn’t just going to stand by and cop it.

“I just talked to a few of them and a few of them were throwing out some pretty big allegations and I just called them up on it.

“If they kept going, they kept going and I was like ‘it’s your membership here’ so I was just pointing them out.

“It’s pretty disrespectful to be honest. I just expect a lot better from the members.”

Cummins said he hoped the tradition of walking through the Long Room was not affected by incidents that saw the players abused and jostled.

The Australian captain rejected claims by Stokes that he would have acted differently under the circumstances.

“We see Jonny do it (attempt to throw down the stumps) all the time,” Cummins said. “He did it day one to Davey Warner, he did it 2019 to Steve (Smith). It’s a really common thing for keepers to do if they see a batter keep leaving the crease.

“Full credit to Kes (Alex Carey), he saw the opportunity a few balls before hand, Jonny left his crease and he rolled it at the stumps.”

Cummins claimed the umpire made it clear they had not called over and there was “no sneakiness about it”.

The Australian said there was no animosity between the two sides and “nothing to sort out”.

Stokes, however, claimed that he thought the Australians had it wrong and that he would have withdrawn the appeal.

“Both umpires were making the gesture walking towards their opposite position,” he claimed.

“Jonny was in his crease, then left his crease to come out and have the conversation between overs like every batsman does.

“If I was fielding captain at the time I would have put a lot more pressure on the umpires to ask them what their decision was around the ‘over’.

“Then I would have had a real think about the spirit of the game and would I want to potentially win a game with something like that happening. It would be no.”

McCullum, who ran out a number of batters in controversial circumstances during his career, was angry after the game, saying “I don’t think we’ll be having a beer together any time soon”.

Stokes played down the coach’s comments.

“I think there’s a bit of emotion in that to be honest,” he said. “It’s very soon after something happens. I’m not one to hold a grudge too much.

“I’ve been through enough to know you can let things go. But I think to ruin a tradition that’s been so long, such a big series I think the feelings from a few people will definitely change as the series goes on.

“Maybe if we weren’t to do what we always do and have a beer together and say well done, great effort and all that kind of stuff it would be sad. But I think that was just emotion.”