Ed Smith, the former England selector, has been named as the next president of the MCC. He’ll serve for a year starting October 1. The current president, Lord King of Lothbury, made the announcement at the Club’s Annual General Meeting at Lord’s. After hearing the news, Smith shared his excitement and promised to do his best for the MCC. It’s a huge honor to follow Lord King as president. Lord’s has meant a lot to me – as a fan, a player, and a selector. I’m really dedicated to serving the Club and the game, he said in an MCC statement.
Lord King said he believes Smith is a great choice because he’s not only a talented cricketer who played for England but also an intelligent author and educator who can help the MCC move forward.
Smith had a solid playing career with Kent, Middlesex, and England, racking up nearly 13,000 first-class runs over 13 seasons, including 34 centuries. He also studied at Cambridge, graduating with a double first in History. After retiring in 2008, he moved into media and has written five books. He worked as a radio and TV presenter too.
In 2018, he became the chief selector for the England men’s team. Under his leadership, England won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2019 and had success in various formats. Smith is also involved in education as a co-founder of the Institute of Sports Humanities, which focuses on developing future leaders in sports. They offer a master’s degree in Leadership in Sport with Loughborough University London.
During Smith’s term, Lord’s is set to host the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 and will feature its first women’s Test match between India and England.
