The former Three Lions skipper will take over his new role on October 1.
Ex-England captain Mike Gatting has been elected as the new president of the Marleybone Cricket Club (MCC) and will begin his position at Lord’s on October 1.
Gatting will take over from current president Mike Griffith after the summer with the 55-year-old having long-running associations with the ‘Home of Cricket.’
The former batsman spent his entire 23-year career with club side Middlesex – who play at Lord’s – before he retired from the sport in 1998.
Gatting scored 36,500 first-class runs during his time in London at an average of 49.52 and also led England to Ashes sucess in Australia in 1986/87 – a feat only achieved by four Three Lions skippers.
The burly cricketer featured in 79 Tests for his country and is currently the managing director of cricket partnerships at the ECB.
Events for the 200th anniversary of the MCC being based at Lord’s will be overseen by Gatting, as will the celebrations around his beloved Middlesex playing at the ground for 150 years in 2014.
The MCC will play a Rest of the World XI just as they did in their bicentenary year in 1987 – a match that the England batsman was named captain of the MCC.
“Few people are so closely identified with Lord’s as Mike Gatting,” current president Griffith was quoted on Sky Sports.
“He was an excellent an particularly brave batsman for England, and he has continued to serve cricket with a dedication and a passion that is unstinting for both ECB and MCC.
“It is fitting that someone of his cricketing stature should be President during the Ground’s Bicentenary.”
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