London: Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodian of laws of cricket, announced Indian legends MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami among the former players awarded with the honorary life membership of the club, recognising their great careers in the sport.
‘MCC awards Honorary Life Membership of the Club to some of the world’s finest cricketers and can today reveal the names of the latest men and women to have been bestowed with this privilege: Merissa Aguilleira – West Indies (2008-2019), M.S. Dhoni – India (2004-2019), Jhulan Goswami – India (2002-2022), Jenny Gunn – England (2004-2019), Mohammad Hafeez – Pakistan (2003-2021), Rachael Haynes – Australia (2009-2022), Laura Marsh – England (2006-2019), Eoin Morgan – England (2006-2022), Mashrafe Mortaza – Bangladesh (2001-2020), Kevin Pietersen – England (2005-2014), Suresh Raina – India (2005-2018), Mithali Raj – India (1999-2022), Amy Satterthwaite – New Zealand (2007-2022), Yuvraj Singh – India (2000-2017), Anya Shrubsole – England (2008-2022), Dale Steyn – South Africa (2004-2020), Ross Taylor – New Zealand (2006-2022)’, said a statement from MCC on Wednesday.
The club has also awarded a further two Honorary Life Memberships for non-playing contributions to the game. Eight of the 12 Test-playing nations are represented within this year’s list, which includes some of the most recognisable names in the modern game. Eoin Morgan lifted the ICC Men’s World Cup for England at Lord’s in 2019, two years after Jenny Gunn, Laura Marsh and Anya Shrubsole had helped England defeat India in the ICC Women’s World Cup Final at the same venue. Kevin Pietersen, who won the Ashes four times and was Player of the Tournament in England’s 2010 ICC Men’s World T20 win, completes the quintet of English players.
Five Indian players have been recognised with Honorary Life Membership. Jhulan Goswami, who bowed out from internationals in the England v India Women’s One-Day International at Lord’s last year, is the leading wicket-taker in Women’s ODIs whilst Mithali Raj heads the run-scoring list with 7,805 in 211 innings. MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh were both integral parts of the India side which won the 2007 ICC Men’s World T20 and the 2011 ICC Men’s World Cup, and Suresh Raina scored over 5,500 ODI runs across a 13-year career. There are five players who are sole representatives of their countries on this year’s list. Merissa Aguilleira represented West Indies with distinction as a wicketkeeper-batter, whilst Mashrafe Mortaza enjoyed a 19-year career with Bangladesh as an impactful bowling all-rounder.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez represented his country almost 400 times across the three international formats of the game, most regularly as an opening bat, and South Africa’s Dale Steyn is recognised as one of the finest fast bowlers of his generation, taking 439 Test wickets. Australia top order batter Rachael Haynes won six ICC tournaments with her country in a 13-year international career, as well as Gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Kiwi duo Amy Satterthwaite and Ross Taylor complete the list. The former played 145 ODIs for New Zealand, scoring over 4,500 runs in the process, whilst Taylor is regarded has one of their greatest men’s batters, helping them to win the inaugural ICC World Test Championship in 2021.
In the non-playing related categories, Dr Jane Powell has enjoyed a lifelong involvement in the game as both a player and coach and was appointed as Disability Performance Manager at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year. Medha Laud has dedicated her entire working life to the game and has spent over three decades working closely with England teams. She was awarded an MBE in 2005 for services to cricket.
Guy Lavender, Chief Executive & Secretary of MCC, said: ‘We are thrilled to be able to announce our newest cohort of Honorary Life Members of MCC, as we prepare for the new international summer. The names that have been announced today are some of the greatest international players of modern times, and we are privileged to now count them as valued Members of our Club. We are also pleased to be able to announce two individuals who have been awarded this honour for their monumental contributions off the pitch’. MCC’s Cricket committee considers the nomination of cricketers for Honorary Life Membership, recognising the outstanding international careers of some of the greats of the game. Honorary Life Membership is also awarded to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to MCC or to the game in general.
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