- Friday, April 19, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
FORMER England cricket captain Clare Connor has taken over as the first woman president of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in its 234-year history.
The 45-year-old Connor, who replaced former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara as the prestigious club’s president, was nominated for the top post in 2020. MCC said Connor’s nomination was announced by Sangakkara at the 2020 Annual Generl Meeting. Connor took over from Sangakkara after his term was extended to two years because of Covid-19.
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“I am truly honoured to be MCC ‘resident and would like to thank Kumar Sangakkara for putting his faith in me to deliver this enormously important role, for the good of the sport I have loved all my life,” Connor, who won the Ashes as captain, said in a statement.
“I will try to bring my range of experiences from the dressing room and the boardroom to support, influence and work alongside the Club’s leadership and committees over the next 12 months. I am really looking forward to being part of the MCC team,” she added.
Connor, a former all-rounder, made her England debut in 1995 when she was only 19. She became the captain in 2000 and led England to their first Ashes triumph in 42 years, overseeing a 1-0 victory in 2005.
Meanwhile, Bruce Carnegie-Brown took over as MCC’s new club chairman following his approval by the members at the 2021 annual general meeting in May. He will be the sixth MCC chairman.
On his appointment, Carnegie-Brown said: “It is a privilege to be MCC’s next Chairman and to increase my involvement with such a special Club.”
“I look forward to working with the Club’s Members to ensure that the Home of Cricket continues to provide a world-class venue and warm welcome to players and visitors from around the country and internationally.
“On behalf of the Club’s membership, I would like to express my gratitude to my predecessor, Gerald Corbett who did an outstanding job of leading the Club through the pandemic, while also overseeing the construction of the fabulous new Compton and Edrich stands, which opened this summer,” he added.
