‘Beefy’ Botham issues broadside at ‘disgraceful’ behaviour of MCC members but gives England Ashes hope

English great Ian Botham has condemned the behaviour of the MCC members who were suspended for their abuse of Australian cricketers in the infamous Test at Lord’s in 2023.

It was revealed this week that the Marylebone Cricket Club has appointed a new independent disciplinary panel chairman who can look into the suspensions of three members, including one for life, after the furore on the final day of the second Test.

According to the report in the Sydney Morning Herald, the organisation is reconsidering the life ban given to one member.

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Usman Khawaja was among those targeted for abuse by a braying mob as the Australians returned to the pavilion after the contentious stumping of Jonny Bairstow by Alex Carey.

He said this week that if the member banned for life had learnt from the experience, telling The Age he was a “big believer in second chances”.

“If those guys have learned from their mistakes and they’re never going to spray players as they’re walking off the field from 30cm from their face, that’s fine,” Khawaja said.

“But there needs to be some sort of remorse and understanding shown and that’s for the MCC. I’m all for second chances. I’m not the guy to hold grudges, but I do think you need to learn from your mistakes and avoid doing them again.”

Speaking at a function announcing Cricket Australia will run a ballot for tickets to the 150th Anniversary Test between Australia and England to be held at the MCG in 2027, Botham said what unfolded at Lord’s was shameful.

He recalled the furore that unfolded in 1971 when John Snow was assaulted by a spectator at the SCG after hitting Terry Jenner in the head with a bouncer and pondered whether the incident at Lord’s would have happened if the Bairstow stumping occurred earlier in the day.

“What happened in London was disgraceful,” Botham said.

“I can remember watching in Sydney when John Snow got assaulted. These things happen. But maybe if it had been earlier in the day, it would not have happened.”

Speaking alongside former Australian captain Greg Chappell at the Pullman Hotel, Botham was in fine form on a wintry Tuesday in Melbourne.

Pressed as to whether there were any moral victories when he was playing, Botham quipped; “I didn’t play for morals.”

Quizzed as to what made the MCG, which will host a day-night Test in March to celebrate the anniversary, a ground he loved playing at, Botham pointed to the atmosphere.

“When you go on Boxing Day and you walk out there, as I have said quite a few times tongue in cheek, 100,000 convicts wanted to kill me,” he said.

“But I enjoyed it. I think it’s a great atmosphere and it’s one of the great places to play. People say it is the size of the ground, that’s what makes it and it’s when it is full.

“But when you play a Shield game, which we did here, and there’s no one there, everything echoes around the stadium and it’s quite off putting. But when there is a full house, it is absolutely magnificent.”

While Botham has concerns about England’s preparation, saying they should have played at least one match against an Australian state team, he believes it will be a tight series.

There is conjecture about the make-up of the English attack, with a heavy emphasis on pace, but Botham pointed to the legendary West Indies sides of his era when saying the approach can be effective in Australia.

“It is one of those big ifs. If the England bowlers stay fit, which doesn’t happen very often, but if they can stay fit and the captain can play a full part, then I think England have got a good chance,” Botham said.

“I think the West Indies did pretty well with four pace bowlers and six waiting to get in. But I think it’s the right way. We want to be aggressive. We want to come through. Players, if they’re not playing very well, they don’t like it in the ribs. It will be very interesting.

“I don’t know if they are going to rattle them. All these (Aussies) have been around for a long time. It is a case of winning. Of going out to win. And that is what they do. They lose a few, but they win a few.”