Clare Connor to become MCC's first woman president

Clare Connor, the former England captain, will become the first woman president of Marylebone Cricket Club next year.

Following its AGM on Wednesday, MCC announced that Connor, the ECB’s Managing Director of Women’s Cricket, would take up the post on October 1, 2021, replacing current president Kumar Sangakkara and becoming the first woman to hold the title in the club’s 233-year history.

The move is 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 sport.

“I am deeply honoured to be named the next president of MCC,” Connor said. “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. 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 international 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. An all-rounder who bowled left-arm spin, she led England women to their first Ashes triumph in 42 years, a 1-0 series win in 2005.

The Ashes win was the culmination of her six-year stint as captain and she retired from the game a short time later. She was appointed as the ECB’s Head of Women’s Cricket in 2007, a role which was expanded when she took up her current position. She has also been Chair of the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee since 2011, served as a director on the board of Sussex Cricket and Sport England and was made an Honorary Life Member of MCC in 2009.

Connor’s tenure as MCC president is set to end on September 30, 2022.

Former Sri Lankan international Sangakkara became MCC’s first non-British President when he assumed office last October.

“I am thrilled that Clare has accepted the invitation to become the next President of MCC,” Sangakkara said. “The Club has a significant role to play in cricket’s global appeal and with her influence, I am sure she will make a considerable contribution to MCC.

MCC’s AGM was the first in the club’s history be held online, as Lord’s remains closed to members and the public due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.