Morgan set for key committee role with the MCC

Eoin Morgan played 248 one-day Internationals, 115 T20 internationals and 16 Tests for England

Former England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan is set to join the Marylebone Cricket Club's main committee as its new chair of cricket.

The 38-year-old is on course to take over the role from ex-England international Claire Taylor, who will officially stand down from her position at the end of September after a six-year stint.

Morgan's role is set to be rubber-stamped at the MCC's annual general meeting on 7 May and will be subject to approval of the club's members, although that is largely expected to be a formality.

Based at Lord's, which it owns, the MCC acts as custodian and arbiter of the laws and spirit of cricket.

Morgan is expected to serve an initial three-year term in the role starting on 1 October and will then be eligible for an additional three years.

The decision to recruit Morgan would appear a shrewd one by the MCC as it comes in the wake of an agreement to sell a 49% stake in London Spirit, the Lord's-based franchise in The Hundred, to a consortium of tech billionaires.

Morgan's extensive experience of franchise cricket, in addition to his breadth of knowledge and interest in the whole game, is seen as a valuable asset to the MCC as it navigates a pivotal time in its history.

Dublin-born Morgan captained England to 50-over World Cup glory in 2019 and is widely credited as playing a significant role in an upturn of the fortunes of the country's limited-overs side.

Morgan will also be consulted on some of the broader cricket issues facing the MCC.

Among them will be the future of the Eton versus Harrow match, which is currently set to remain at the Home of Cricket until at least 2027.

Morgan, who was made an honorary life member of the MCC in 2023, is also president of the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA).

He previously sat on the MCC's world cricket committee, which was revamped earlier this year as a new global advisory board including International Cricket Council chair Jay Shah.

Morgan is among four recommendations for key positions to be voted on by full MCC members at the AGM.

It also includes a proposal for Julian Metherell, a partner at financial investment firm MW&L Capital Partners, to join the main committee.

Former PCA chair Metherell led the MCC's negotiating team throughout the process of selling a stake in London Spirit, which brought in £145m.

The MCC's main committee is chaired by broadcaster and former cricketer Mark Nicholas and includes new chief executive and secretary Rob Lawson and president Lord King, the former governor of the Bank of England.