AFP, London :
Former England women’s captain Clare Connor is to become the first female president of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCG) in its 233-year history.
Current incumbent Kumar Sangakkara, the first non-British MCC president, nominated Connor via video link from his native Sri Lanka during an annual general meeting on Wednesday.
Connor, now the England and Wales Cricket Board’s head of women’s cricket, is set to take up her new post on October 1, 2021, subject to the membership’s approval.
Presidents of MCC usually remain in post for one year but Sangakkara’s term is set to be extended by a further 12 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It was not until 1998 that MCC, which owns Lord’s Cricket Ground, voted to allow women to become members. Prior to that, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was one of the few women allowed in the Lord’s pavilion.
“I am deeply honoured to be named the next president of MCC,” said Connor in a statement. “Cricket has enriched my life so deeply already, and now it hands me this wonderful privilege.
“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 nine-year-old girl at a time when women were not welcome in the Long Room (of the pavilion). – ‘Times have changed’ –
The 43-year-old Connor, now the chair of the International Cricket Council’s women’s cricket committee, added: “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.”
Former England women’s captain Clare Connor is to become the first female president of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCG) in its 233-year history.
Current incumbent Kumar Sangakkara, the first non-British MCC president, nominated Connor via video link from his native Sri Lanka during an annual general meeting on Wednesday.
Connor, now the England and Wales Cricket Board’s head of women’s cricket, is set to take up her new post on October 1, 2021, subject to the membership’s approval.
Presidents of MCC usually remain in post for one year but Sangakkara’s term is set to be extended by a further 12 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It was not until 1998 that MCC, which owns Lord’s Cricket Ground, voted to allow women to become members. Prior to that, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was one of the few women allowed in the Lord’s pavilion.
“I am deeply honoured to be named the next president of MCC,” said Connor in a statement. “Cricket has enriched my life so deeply already, and now it hands me this wonderful privilege.
“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 nine-year-old girl at a time when women were not welcome in the Long Room (of the pavilion). – ‘Times have changed’ –
The 43-year-old Connor, now the chair of the International Cricket Council’s women’s cricket committee, added: “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.”
