Mark Nicholas to be next MCC chair

GEORGE DOBELL: Nicholas, the former Hampshire batter and successful journalist and presenter, will be recommended to the membership at the club's AGM in May having already been approved by the MCC committee

George Dobell | 18/03/2024 at 17:57

Mark Nicholas is set to be appointed as the next chair of the MCC.

Nicholas, the former Hampshire batter and successful journalist and presenter, will be recommended to the membership at the club's AGM in May having already been approved by the MCC committee. If that decision is endorsed by members, as it almost certainly will be, he will succeed Bruce Carnegie-Brown in a three-year role as chair on October 1.

Nicholas, who is currently serving a one-year term as the club's president, has been a MCC member since 1981 and has previously served on the Cricket, Marketing and Main Committees. He also co-founded Chance to Shine in 2005 and is currently chair of Southern Brave team in The Hundred. The role of chair is not remunerated.

It would appear he has impressed with his enthusiasm in the role of president. In it, he has argued for the MCC to run their own sides in The Hundred, argued that the Eton v Harrow game has little future at Lord’s and suggested the ICC's distribution model was "poorly thought through". He also accepted there was "a danger" the MCC was "losing its relevance in global cricket".

The process of appointing a new chair has proved somewhat controversial. A SGM was called by a group of disgruntled members who argued that effectively leaving the decision to the nominations committee – the nominations committee make a recommendation to the committee which then decides whether to recommend the candidate to the general membership – was undemocratic.

While they lost the vote, they won 43 per cent of the vote share and several concessions towards more representation in the future. It seems unlikely the recommendation of Nicholas, a popular figure with a long history of serving the club, will arouse enough anger to jeopardise his appointment.

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^{Nicholas is currently president of the MCC (Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)}

In a statement released via the MCC, Nicholas alluded to such disputes and acknowledged a need "to engage more with members" in the future.

"The role of MCC chair is a huge responsibility and I am honoured to have been named as the committee's recommendation to the membership," Nicholas said. "Amongst many aspects of the club's immediate future, is the need to engage more with members. In addition, we are embarking on many new projects and opportunities as we look to embrace this ever-changing game. I hope to ensure that we can play our part in cricket’s development over the coming years."

Carnegie-Brown announced in November his intention not to pursue a second term as chair after it became apparent a portion of the membership intended to oust him. A maximum of two terms totalling six years can be served.

The MCC was founded in 1787 and is recognised as the custodians of the game's Laws. There are currently around 18,350 full and 6,000 associate members of the club.

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