The fifth and final Ashes 2023 Test at Kennington Oval in London witnessed another verbal abuse towards Australian players. On Day 3 of the match, as England raced to a substantial lead with a ‘Bazball’ blitz, a spectator verbally attacked the Australian players as they returned to the pavilion. This incident comes after an infamous one at Lord’s, highlighting the need for better fan behavior and player support.
As the Australian players walked up the stairs, one spectator was filmed yelling “boring” at each of them. Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja were particularly affected by the comments and charged at the fan, demanding an explanation for his behavior. Khawaja and Labuschagne’s prompted the spectator to quickly apologize for his actions.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Australian players have faced verbal abuse during the Ashes series. Earlier in the tournament, Khawaja and David Warner were subjected to verbal attacks in the Lord’s Long Room after Australia’s victory in the second Test. In response to that incident, three MCC members were suspended for their involvement.
Not quite the MCC Long Room at Lords. But @marnus3cricket and @Uz_Khawaja clearly not happy with this Englishman at the end of a frustrating day 3 for the Aussies! #boring #Ashes #ENGvsAUS pic.twitter.com/i0m5wM8bUY
— Pat McCormick (@pat_mccormickk) July 30, 2023
Despite the distractions caused by the verbal abuse, Australia’s openers, Khawaja and Warner, displayed a resilient performance on Day 3. They stitched an unbeaten 135-run partnership, providing their team with hope of chasing down the target on the final day of the Ashes series.
