Former England captain Clare Connor is set to become the first female president of the Marylebone Cricket Club in its 233 year-old history, the club announced in a statement on Wednesday.
Connor is the current England and Wales Cricket Board’s managing director of women’s cricket. The 43-year-old will take up the post on 1 October, 2021, pending approval by the club’s members.
Current president, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, has been offered to stay in the role for a second tenure in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The former Sri Lanka captain had become the first non-British President of the club when he assumed office on October 1 last year.
“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,” Connor was quoted as saying in the statement.
“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. 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 played for England in 16 Tests, 93 ODIs and 2 T20Is and is widely regarded as one of the greatest to play the game. She was named captain in 2000 and led England to their first Ashes triumph in 42 years in 2005. Connor was appointed as the ECB’s Head of Women’s Cricket in 2007.
