The Daily Telegraph - 19.08.2019

Lord’s ejects member for abusing batsman

By Isabelle Westbury

LORD’S might pride itself on being the
“Home of Cricket” and the arena where
the game’s values are sacrosanct, but it
appears standards may be slipping.
It has emerged that an MCC member
was ejected from the world-famous Pa-
vilion on Saturday for allegedly ver-
bally abusing Steve Smith, the
Australian batsman, during the even-
ing session of the second Ashes Test.
It is believed to be the first time in
the history of the MCC that a member
has been thrown out of Lord’s for abus-
ing a player.
The incident is understood to have
occurred when Smith was walking
back to the Australian dressing room
after he was dismissed for 92.
The member is said to have booed
and used insulting language towards
Smith as he was walking through the
Long Room – the area of the Pavilion
where MCC members mingle with
players as they enter and leave the
playing area.
The member who is alleged to have
abused Smith is now liable to face ex-
pulsion or suspension from the MCC,
which is considered one of the most
prestigious private members’ clubs in
the country.
The waiting list to become a mem-
ber is around 29 years, although The-
resa May, the former prime minister,
was fast-tracked into the club last year.
Having to eject a member for abus-
ing an opponent is embarrassing for
the MCC and Lord’s, and doubly so
given the target of the abuse was Smith

• widely recognised as the finest bats-
  man in world cricket, and who had
  shown remarkable bravery in resum-
  ing his innings on Saturday having ear-
  lier been forced to retire following a
  sickening blow to the head
  from a ball by Jofra Archer,
  the England fast bowler.
  Smith, David Warner
  and Cameron Bancroft,
  who were all suspended
  following a ball-tamper-
  ing incident against South
  Africa last year, have all suf-
  fered verbal abuse from por-
  tions of the crowd at various
  grounds in England. This recep-
  tion had appeared to be dying
  down, and when Smith initially
  walked from the field on being hit by
  Archer, it was to widespread applause.

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PAUL CHILDS/REUTERS

News

Steve Smith is seen

leaving the Pavilion

on his way to bat in

the second Test

After taking a blow to the head, left, Smith receives treatment

Steve Smith, the Australian

captain, was allegedly

booed and insulted in the

Pavilion during Ashes Test

However, small pockets of the

ground, outside the Pavilion, did boo

Smith on his return to the crease and

on his eventual dismissal. This was

picked up by the television cameras

and widely commented upon on social

media.

The Australian Cricketers’

Association also issued a state-

ment condemning the booing

of an injured player, calling it

“unwelcome and incorrect” and

that cricket, and Lord’s, “deserves

much better than that”.

Earlier this year the MCC intro-

duced a new code of conduct dur-

ing its annual general meeting.

Any abusive, discriminatory or

inappropriate behaviour is

The Marylebone

Cricket Club

(MCC) was

founded in 1787.

All candidates

applying for

membership

must be

proposed,

seconded and

sponsored by full

or senior

members. The

waiting list is

around 29 years.

Before becoming

a full member,

successful

candidates are

allowed to be

associate

members.

There are

18,000 full

members and

5,000 associates.

The number of

vacancies each

year depends on

the number of

deaths,

resignations and

lapsed

memberships. A

membership

cannot be passed

on to someone

else once they

die. Annual

subscriptions

vary in price from

£130 to £470.

Waiting list

of 29 years

How to join

the MCC

full panel, composed of two further

members alongside the chairman.

The panel will then determine, on

hearing the case, whether the member

in question should be either repri-

manded, suspended, have certain

rights and privileges withdrawn, or be

expelled entirely. The member will

have a right to appeal any decision.

Behaviour at Lord’s – which is the

only stadium in world cricket to allow

spectators to bring alcohol into the

ground – also came under scrutiny in

2017, when a drunken fight broke out

between spectators in the Harris Gar-

den, directly behind the Pavilion.

The MCC have offered no comment

but do not deny that the incident

occurred.

now considered a breach of the club’s

rules. According to the procedures laid

out in the MCC’s regulations, the inci-

dent is understood to have been re-

ferred to the MCC’s disciplinary panel

chairman, who must be a legally quali-

fied MCC member.

The chairman must now launch a

preliminary investigation before deter-

mining whether a full investigation

should be launched and put before the

Booing an injured player is

‘unwelcome and incorrect’

and Lord’s and cricket

‘deserves better than that’

The Daily Telegraph Monday 19 August 2019 *** 3

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