"Nicest man in cricket" - David Gower lambasts MCC members for heckling Usman Khawaja on day 5 at Lord's

Former England captain David Gower admitted that the hostile behaviour of the MCC members towards Australian players baffled him in the second Ashes Test at Lord's. The former middle-order batter also found it particularly upsetting that they heckled Usman Khawaja, who he stated was one of the nicest in the sport.

Following the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow on day 5 of the second Ashes Test at Lord's, the crowds and MCC members turned on the visitors. Khawaja and David Warner had some heated exchanges with the MCC members at the Long Room. The MCC did take action later, suspending 3 members.

Speaking to SEN's Sportsday, the 66-year-old slammed the pack meantality and the ugly nature of the MCC members. Gower elaborated:

"I found it horribly ironic, and horrible is the keyword, that MCC members were attacking Usman Khawaja who is actually the nicest man in cricket. It’s just wrong. I was in Australia for the last Ashes series and I watched him make hundreds there and watched him make his hundreds here as well. First of all, it’s picking on the wrong man. It’s a sort of pack mentality which I don’t like, I absolutely hate."

After the match, Khawaja slammed the disrespectful behaviour, especially given that Lord's is one of his favourite venues to play in. The 36-year-old claimed that he wasn't going to stand there and listen to them speaking ill things.

"It was one of the great innings played" - David Gower on Ben Stokes' 155

David Gower. (Image Credits: Getty)

Gower further underlined that the entire controversy masked Ben Stokes' whirlwind 155. The Kent cricketer added:

"What really does annoy me is Ben Stokes’ brilliant batting, which was just an awesome thing to watch, has sunk into the background. That was one of the great innings. It didn’t quite get England there and the margin at the end was comfortable. But it was one of the great innings played with a febrile atmosphere and in terms of the theatre of Test cricket it was just brilliant."

Stokes' 155 went in vain as Australia won by 43 runs and took a healthy 2-0 lead in the five-Test series.