Ashes: MCC suspends 3 members after Lord's Long Room incident with Australian players
London (PTI): The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has suspended three members over altercations with the Australian team in Lord's Long Room following Jonny Bairstow's controversial stumping on the final day of the second Ashes Test.
The MCC had earlier "unreservedly apologised" to the Australian team for the behaviour of some of its members, who allegedly verbally abused several visiting players as they made way to the dressing room at lunch on Sunday.
Television footage showed openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner involved in a heated exchange with spectators in the Long Room, which is an area reserved only for MCC members and their guests.
Khawaja was pulled back by security guards. Warner was also seen making a comment to some of the members, with security forced to step in.
ALSO READ: MCC apologises to Australia for heated exchange in Lord's Long Room
"Further to the earlier statement, MCC can confirm it has suspended three Members identified from earlier today. They will not be permitted back to Lord's whilst the investigation takes place and were informed of this by MCC Chief Executive, Guy Lavender, this evening," the MCC said in a statement late on Sunday.
The unpleasant exchange came after Bairstow's dismissal, which took place half an hour before lunch.
Bairstow had ducked a slow bouncer and immediately left his crease to meet skipper Ben Stokes at the other end, thinking the ball was already "dead".
However, wicketkeeper Alex Carey underarmed the ball into his stumps and the Australians celebrated. Bairstow was given out for 10 after a brief review.
While there is no doubt that Bairstow was out under the laws of the game, many including England coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes believe the dismissal was not in the spirit of the game.
After the dismissal, Australian team was booed and jeered with chants of "same old Aussies, always cheating" reverberating at the Lord's.
"We maintain that the behaviour of a small number of Members was completely unacceptable and whilst there was no suggestion by Pat Cummins in the post-match press conference that there was any physical altercation, it remains wholly unacceptable to behave in such a way, which goes against the values of the Club."
"MCC condemns the behaviour witnessed and once again we re-iterate our apology to Cricket Australia," the statement read.
Bairstow's dismissal left Stokes as the lone recognised batter. The skipper played a knock for the ages, slamming an anger-fuelled 155 off 214 balls that was laced with nine sixes and as many fours.
However once he was out, England slumped to a 43-run loss. The hosts now trail the five-match series 0-2.
Khawaja condemns 'disrespectful' behaviour
Talking to Channel Nine about the incident after the match, a "disappointed" Khawaja slammed the disrespectful behaviour towards his team.
"Lord's is one of my favourite places to come. There's always respect shown at Lord's, particularly in the Members Pavilion in the Long Room, but there wasn't today. It was very disappointing.
"If anyone asked me where the best place is to play I always say Lord's. The crowd is great, particularly the members are great, and some of the stuff that was coming out of the members' mouths is really disappointing and I wasn't just going stand by and cop it. So I just talked to a few of them.
"A few of them were throwing out some pretty big allegations and I just called them up on it and they kept going, and I was like, well, this is your membership here. So I'm just pointing them out. But it's pretty disrespectful, to be honest. I just expect a lot better from the members."
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
