LONDON, June 25: Former England captain Clare Connor is set to become the first female president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), guardian of the laws of the game, in its 233-year history.
Connor was on Wednesday named as the successor to current chief Kumar Sangakkara, who steps down from the post next year.
The nomination of Connor, who is currently the ECB�s managing director of women�s cricket, was made by Sangakkara himself during Wednesday�s Annual General Meeting.
Connor will take up the post on October 1 next year, pending approval by the club�s members, as Sangakkara has been invited to remain in the role for a second twelve-month tenure due to the impact of COVID-19 on the cricketing landscape.
�I am deeply honoured to be named the next President of MCC. Cricket has enriched my life so deeply already, and now it hands me this wonderful privilege,� said Connor, who was made an Honorary Life Member of MCC in 2009.
�We often need to look back to see how far we�ve come. I made my first visit to Lord�s as a starry-eyed, cricket-obsessed 9-year-old girl at a time when women were not welcome in the Long Room. Times have changed.
�Now I find myself entrusted with this remarkable opportunity � the opportunity to play a part in helping MCC, cricket�s most influential club, to thrive and grow in an even more modern and inclusive future.�
Connor made her England debut in 1995 at the age of 19, and took over the captaincy in 2000, leading England at Lord�s against Australia a year later. � PTI
