MCC extends Kumar Sangakkara's term for one more year

Bengaluru, May 6: The MCC has decided to extend the term of Kumar Sangakkara as its president for another year due to the the disruption to the global cricketing landscape caused by the outbreak of Covid-19.

Sangakkara had begun his term of office on October 1, 2019, and will be invited to serve as President of the Club until September 30 2021. The motion will need to be approved by the Club's Members at the Annual General Meeting, which has been rescheduled to June 24, stated a release.

As is traditionally the case, the MCC President will name their successor at the Club's Annual General Meeting and Sangakkara's successor can expect to take up the post on October 1 2021, again pending approval.

Whilst Presidents of MCC only serve for a 12-month period, it is not unprecedented for longer terms to be introduced to respond to extraordinary circumstances. During the First and Second World Wars, Lord Hawke (1914-18) and Stanley Christopherson (1939-45) served for longer periods.

Former Sri Lankan captain Sangakkara became the first non-British President in the history of MCC when he was nominated by outgoing President Anthony Wreford last year.

In February 2020, he captained MCC on a seminal tour of Pakistan - the Club's first tour to the country since 1973. The aim of the visit was to encourage international teams to visit Pakistan once again, following a decade in which the country was starved of international cricket as a result an attack targeting the team bus of the Sri Lankan tour squad, who included Sangakkara amongst their number.