Michael Clarke made honorary life member of MCC

Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke has become the fourth member from Australia to be inducted as an honorary life member of the prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club. Clarke, who led the Australians to yet another win in the 2015 edition of the World Cup signed off later that year at the age of 34 citing back problems. However, since then, Clarke has been involved with cricket ever since, featuring in domestic T20 tournaments in Hong Kong.

Clarke becomes only the fourth Australian to become a life member of the MCC and has followed in the footsteps of his predecessors in the Australian side as well. Former Aussie pacer Glenn McGrath, former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, and perhaps the best spinner Australia has ever produced – Shane Warne are the Australians who hold the prestigious life membership.

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The Marylebone Cricket Club aka the MCC was established in the year 1877 shortly prior to the start of the first ever Test match in Melbourne between Australia and England. In spite of this, the MCC has always had its base in Lord’s Cricket Ground, a place which has seen many a dramatic Test match in the past. Prio7r to 1993, the MCC was cricket’s premier governing the body of all cricket worldwide apart from their obvious governance of the England and Wales Cricket Board. However, since 1993, most of their major operations was transferred to the International Cricket Council.

However, in spite of that, the MCC is not rendered obsolete by any means. Although the laws have been amended and modified on many an occasion, the MCC remains to be the sole copyright holder of the Laws of Cricket that was laid down in 1788. In addition, the MCC boasts of 18,000 full members as well as 6000 associate members who are granted exclusive permissions as well as access to the main pavilion or even any other stands to watch any match played at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Some eminent cricketers are awarded the Honorary Life membership and some current honorary life members include Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram, Rahul Dravid, Kumar Sangakkara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist.

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