File image of Kumar Sangakkara
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara is slated to continue with his role as the president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for another year after 'extraordinary circumstances' amid the coronavirus pandemic forced an extension of his tenure. He will now serve as the president until September 2021.
Sangakkara had earlier become the first non-British president of the MCC when he was offered the role a year back. The tenure for the role is generally a year, although it has been in the past extended for more than the allotted period during the two World Wars.
There have been 168 presidents since 1821 and with the extension, Sangakkara is slated to become the fourth person to serve the role for two terms.
"The disruption to the global cricketing landscape caused by the outbreak of Covid-19 Coronavirus has led the Committee to recommend that Sangakkara, who began his term of office on 1 October 2019, be invited to serve as President of the Club until 30 September 2021," the MCC said in a release.
"The motion will need to be approved by the Club's Members at the Annual General Meeting, which has been rescheduled to 24 June.
"Whilst Presidents of MCC only normally serve for a twelve-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."
Back in 2012, he was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the Club and later joined the club's World Cricket committee in the same year. Earlier this year, he had also led the club to a seminal tour of Pakistan, their first visit to the country since 1973.
