Ed Smith Named Next MCC President

By Mehr Jan

Ed Smith, the former England Test cricketer, national selector and acclaimed sports author, has been appointed the next President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). 

The announcement was made by outgoing President Lord King of Lothbury during the Club’s Annual General Meeting at Lord’s. Smith will take over the role on October 1, 2025, serving a one-year term.

“Lord’s has been a special part of my life — as a fan, a player, and a selector,” Smith said following the announcement. “It is a huge honor to serve the Club and the game I love.”

Smith brings a unique blend of athletic and academic pedigree to the role. Over a 13-season career in first-class cricket, he represented Kent, Middlesex and Cambridge University, scoring nearly 13,000 runs, including 34 centuries. He also appeared in three Test matches for England in 2003.

After retiring in 2008, Smith turned to writing and broadcasting. He authored five books and contributed columns to The Times and New Statesman, while also presenting on BBC’s Test Match Special. 

In 2018, he became Chief Selector for the England men’s team, overseeing a period that included England’s historic ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup victory in 2019.

The 47-year-old is also the co-founder of the Institute of Sports Humanities, which offers a master's program in Leadership in Sport in collaboration with Loughborough University London.

A Presidency Overseeing Change and Milestones

Smith’s term will coincide with pivotal moments for MCC and the game. 

Lord’s is set to host the final of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and a Women’s Test match for the first time in its storied history.

He will also preside during the inaugural season of the Hundred under private ownership. 

MCC, which retains a 51 percent share in London Spirit, recently sold a 49 percent stake to Cricket Investor Holdings Limited — a Silicon Valley-backed consortium — in a landmark £145.5 million deal, the most lucrative among the eight franchises.