Stephen Fry, the actor and comic, has been named as the subsequent President of Marylebone Cricket Membership (MCC) after his appointment was ratified on the membership’s annual normal assembly, right here on Wednesday.

Fry, a lifelong cricket supporter, is a patron of the MCC Basis, and delivered a memorable MCC Cowdrey Lecture final 12 months. He was nominated for the function by the present President, Clare Connor, and can take over when her time period ends on October 1.

“I’m honoured and proud to be nominated as the subsequent President of MCC. It’s a membership that’s identified all through the world for what it represents within the recreation and to be gifted the chance to carry out this function is really humbling,” Fry mentioned in a press release.

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“I thank Clare for this unimaginable alternative and I sit up for supporting her as President Designate over the summer time earlier than commencing my very own innings within the autumn,” he added.

The 64-year outdated Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, writer, playwright, journalist, poet, comic, tv presenter and movie director. He’s additionally an advocate for psychological well being and has been President of Thoughts, the psychological well being charity, for over a decade.

An MCC Member since 2011, he’s extensively identified to be a lover of cricket and delivered the twentieth MCC Cowdrey Lecture in November 2021. As solely the second non-cricketing persona to offer the Lecture, following Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 2008, his impassioned speech was each highly effective and memorable, and included the suggestion that Yorkshire had exuded a “mephitic stink” throughout their dealing with of the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.

“When he [Rafiq] mentioned as we speak that he didn’t need his son to go anyplace close to cricket my coronary heart fell to my boots. However really that straightforward assertion crystallises the whole lot, it offers us a transparent human picture that claims all of it. It’s a rallying cry,” Fry mentioned throughout his speech.

“Until all our nation’s little children with the expertise and want to have a life in cricket are assured that cricket will need to have a life with them, the spirit of cricket, its very flame, will flicker and exit. Let’s dedicate ourselves to making sure that that can by no means occur,” he added.

The present President Connor mentioned Stephen shall be an exquisite ambassador for MCC.

“I’m thrilled to have the ability to announce Stephen as my successor. He has a deep love and take care of cricket and shall be an exquisite ambassador for MCC.The Cowdrey Lecture he delivered final 12 months was inspiring and confirmed the extent to which he understands the challenges and alternatives that each MCC and cricket face. He’ll carry a wealth of expertise to the function and I hope he totally enjoys his 12 months,” mentioned Connor.

Wednesday’s annual normal assembly at Lord’s was the primary to be held in a hybrid format, with members attending in individual on the floor in addition to on-line. This follows the earlier two years the place conferences had been held solely on-line because of the affect of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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