Sri Lanka Cricket to felicitate Kumar Sangakkara on becoming MCC President

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) has decided to felicitate former captain Kumar Sangakkara on his induction to the prestigious position of MCC President. The board has also agreed to host MCC Committee Meeting in Sri Lanka during the England tour of Sri Lanka in March 2020.

In addition, MCC will also play against the English County Champions soon after the England Test match in Galle.

The decisions were taken during SLC Management Committee (MC) meeting on Wednesday (October 9).

“Sangakkara has achieved one of the highest glory by becoming MCC President. Sri Lanka Cricket is proud on his achievement, this we have decided to felicitate him. Also, as he personally requested for a match after the Galle test, we have accepted this request as well” a senior SLC administrator told Cricket Age.

One of the greatest batsman of modern era, Sangakkara has a long association with the MCC. 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.

Sangakkara is renowned the world over for his famous speech delivered at the 2011 Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture where he dared to speak against the Sri Lanka Cricket administration whilst still being a contracted player. In 2012, he was awarded honorary life membership of the club. In the same year, he also joined MCC’s world cricket committee and remains an active member till date.

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

His nomination was announced by the outgoing President Anthony Wreford at the MCC annual general meeting at Lord’s in May this year.

“There is no better person than Kumar Sangakkara to take on the role of MCC President over the next twelve months,” Wreford said.

“He strongly believes in the power of cricket to engage communities and he will be a pivotal ambassador for the important work that MCC does, including reaffirming its international reputation this summer by staging five ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup matches including that magical final,” he added.

And, the fact that Sangakkara has been chosen, in a way, to represent Asia, is no coincidence given that he has consistently looked beyond just the game, spoke up on social and political issues, something a lot of iconic cricketers shy away from doing.