Lord’s EXPELS MCC member after Australian cricketers David Warner and Usman Khawaja were confronted in the Long Room during feisty Ashes series as exclusive club announces its sanctions

An MCC member has been banned after Australian cricketers David Warner and Usman Khawaja were confronted by angry cricket fans in the Lord’s Long Room during this summer’s hostile Ashes series.

Australia’s opening batsmen and their teammates were accused of cheating by irate members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) following Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping on the final day of the second Ashes Test – in which the tourists triumphed to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Bairstow wandered from his crease at the end of an over – believing the ball was dead – but was run clear by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey who under-armed the ball at the stumps just before lunch, leading to ugly scenes at Lord’s .

Guy Lavender, the MCC’s chief executive and secretary, hailed an ‘unforgettable day of Test cricket’ but said it could ‘sadly be remembered for other reasons’.

Cricket Australia demanded an investigation into the heated exchange, and now the MCC has announced its punishments following an investigation, with one member expelled from the club, while another member has been given a four-and-a-half year ban.

Angry cricket fans exchanged words with David Warner and Usman Khawaja during the Ashes

MCC members were furious after the Australians controversially sacked Jonny Bairstow

A third member has been suspended for thirty months. All three members were sanctioned for “offensive, insulting or inappropriate behavior or language.”

Australia were accused of betraying ‘the spirit of the game’ after the Bairstow incident, and the series took a more volatile turn for the remaining three Tests, ending in a 2–2 draw at the Oval.

As both groups of players walked out for lunch, Khawaja and Warner were filmed arguing with angry members in the famous Long Room as boos and cries of ‘absolute disgrace’ were heard.

Khawaja could be seen angrily confronting a member before being pulled away by a teammate and a staff member. Moments later, Warner also had to be restrained by the security team because tensions were high.

The Aussies have since opened up about what happened between the two players during that lunch break, with Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith revealing there was an icy exchange between Warner and Bairstow.

Labuschagne said Bairstow refused to eat anything before firing a shot at opener Warner, to which the veteran responded curtly.

“I was in the lunchroom,” he said. ‘Jonny was steaming, absolutely steaming. He walked into the lunchroom and didn’t eat lunch.

‘The Sky crew knew Jonny was there and they just replayed it on the screen. And while you do that, everyone is watching. Obviously he sees us all looking and says, “Are you guys happy with that?”

‘David Warner spits out his chicken and says, “Yes, whole.” The only words said.”

The Australians were accused of betraying ‘the spirit of cricket’ at Lord’s this summer

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw the ball back to the stumps when Bairstow had strayed from his ground, believing a Cameron Green delivery was dead

Steve Smith added: “It was funny,” while Mitch Marsh said the Aussies struggled to suppress their laughter after Warner’s comment.

‘Do you remember at school when the teacher tells you not to laugh? Well I was trying to eat my soup so if you can imagine I’m eating my soup and I’m shaking like this and I’m just trying to look down and I look up at Jonny and I had pumpkin soup my whites down come.’

Travis Head said: “My back was turned to Jonny, but I could imagine Jonny looking at us and when David said ‘very’ me and a few others got pats on the back.

‘He (Bairstow) would have seen three shoulders bumping with their heads down.’

And Usman Khawaja claimed that even some English stars found the exchange funny.

“I walked out with some English guys and they were giggling,” he said.

‘Bairstow still hasn’t eaten. He sat the whole time. So I finished and left and Jonny hadn’t touched anything.’

Australia’s stars have since spilled the beans during a very awkward lunch at Lord’s in the Ashes

However, British TV presenter and vocal England supporter Piers Morgan has hit out at the Aussies’ boastful antics in the video, branding the players ‘miscreants’.

“If there’s anything worse than Australia so blatantly abusing the spirit of cricket, it’s that the miscreants are now sniggering about it,” he tweeted.

‘Stokes should play this video for his team before the next Ashes series. Actually, he should play it for them every day between now and then.”

Hostilities continued for the remainder of the series, culminating in the players not sharing beer after the fifth Test at the Oval.