London: Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Javagal Srinath, were among 18 cricketers who had been honored with life membership at Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC) on Tuesday. The MCC, based at Lord’s, is the custodian of cricket laws.
Both Harbhajan and Srinath had a successful international career. With 417 dismissals in 103 Tests and over 700 international wickets across formats, Harbhajan Singh is India’s third-highest wicket-taker. Srinath is one of the best fast bowlers of all time, with 315 ODI wickets and 236 Test victims. He is currently an ICC Elite Panel Match Referee.
“Eight of the 12 Test-playing nations are represented within this year’s list, which includes some of the most recognizable names in the modern game,” said the MCC in a statement.
MCC awards Honorary Life Membership of the Club to some of the world’s finest cricketers.
We are delighted to announce the names of the latest men and women to have been bestowed with this privilege:
— Marylebone Cricket Club (@MCCOfficial) October 19, 2021
Alastair Cook, England’s top Test run-scorer, is joined by fellow countrymen Ian Bell and Marcus Trescothick, who have combined for over 39,000 international runs.
Sarah Taylor, a fourth England star, played in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Charlotte Edwards Cup, and The Hundred this year, and is regarded as one of the best wicket-keepers of her generation. Hashim Amla, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, and Morne Morkel are the four South African heroes who have been awarded honorary life membership. Kallis ranks third all-time in Test run scoring with 13,289 runs.
Alex Blackwell, a female batter, and Australia’s fashionable Damien Martyn are also included. West Indies are represented by Ian Bishop, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Bishop got 161 wickets in just 43 games, while Chanderpaul is the most capped Test player (164) in West Indies history, with only seven players scoring more than his 11,867 runs.
Sarwan scored 15 Test hundreds, and his 291 against England in 2009 tied Sir Viv Richards’ 1976 record for the greatest individual score by a West Indian on English territory. In a career spanning over two decades, Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath grabbed 433 Test wickets and ranks among the top ten all-time wicket-takers.
“Once approved by the MCC Committee, letters of invitation are sent to the individual to accept. There is no set number per year. Nominees can accept and be granted the honour at any time,” the statement added.
