Kumar Sangakkara to become next MCC President

Kumar Sangakkara will be the next President of Marylebone Cricket Club. The former Sri Lankan international will take up the post on 1st October 2019 and will serve for a period of one year. He will become the first non-British President.

His nomination was announced by the current President, Anthony Wreford, at the MCC Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 1st May 2019, held at Lord’s.

Sangakkara is already heavily involved with MCC and delivered a powerful and memorable MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2011. In 2012, he was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the Club. In the same year, he joined MCC’s World Cricket committee and remains an active member.

His connections with MCC go back a long way: he played against the Club in 2002, opening the batting for the touring Sri Lankans in a first-class match at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield. He also played for MCC against an International XI at Lord’s in the 2005 Tsunami Relief Match. Proceeds from that match were used by the Foundation of Goodness to set up the MCC Centre of Excellence at Seenigama in Sri Lanka.

Kumar Sangakkara said: “It is a huge honour to be named the next President of MCC and it is a role that I am thoroughly looking forward to. For me, MCC is the greatest cricket club in the world, with its global reach and continued progress for cricket on and off the pitch. The year 2020 is going to be yet another significant one in cricket, especially at Lord’s, and I am thrilled that I am going to be able to play a part in supporting its future as President of MCC.”

Sangakkara appears twice on the Honours Boards at Lord’s, with both innings coming in 2014. He hit 147 in the Test Match draw with England, and 112 in Sri Lanka’s One-Day International victory over the same opposition.

Sangakkara’s year of office will begin on 1st October 2019 and will conclude on 30th September 2020. His tenure will include another busy year at Lord’s next summer, with two England Test Matches against West Indies and Pakistan and the launch of The Hundred competition.

MCC President, Anthony Wreford said: “As MCC looks to broaden both our horizons and international reputation, I’m delighted that Kumar has accepted the invitation, which he did in January this year, to be the next President of MCC. He is an outstanding individual both on and off the field and will make a huge contribution to the Club. In a World Cup and Ashes year he will also have a significant role to play as President Designate.”