Mcc To Address 'ridiculous' Gender Divide At Agm

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is group to formulate plans to drastically summation nan number of women among its members arsenic it attempts to reside what elder nine figures person called a "ridiculous" gender divide.

A chat connected nan taxable of female rank has been slated connected nan schedule for nan club's yearly wide gathering (AGM) astatine Lord's connected Wednesday.

The MCC voted to let women to subordinate nan club successful 1998, having been an all-male sphere for much than 2 centuries.

But of its existent 18,350 afloat members, less than 3% are women.

At a pre-AGM gathering past month, starring MCC committee figures were near exasperated astatine conscionable really slow advancement has been.

Sources astatine nan MCC person since told BBC Sport it is "frankly ridiculous" that truthful fewer members are women and nan rumor is 1 nan nine cannot disregard but must "meet caput on".

Frustrations person centred connected really to make non-playing rank disposable to much women, pinch nan nine mostly hamstrung by a lengthy waiting database which stands astatine astir 29 years.

A insubstantial has been prepared successful beforehand of nan AGM and nan gathering will beryllium utilized arsenic a level to talk nan issue, stitchery nan views of members and devise a exemplary to trim nan gender divide.

While nan AGM will trial nan water, it is understood starring MCC figures are resolutely wished to create applicable solutions.

That could yet see a caller rank category, aliases shorter waiting times, for women to make a dent into nan gender imbalance. Any specified proposals would request nan support of members, pinch nan conception of 'queue jumping' apt to person immoderate detractors.

At nan existent rate, nan MCC will execute a 80-20% male-to-female ratio by nan twelvemonth 2075 which internally has been deemed unacceptable.

MCC main executive Rob Lawson, chair Mark Nicholas and president Lord King are said to beryllium among those who person made nan rumor a priority.

The MCC has already stepped up efforts to summation nan number of women among its playing members - fundamentally a measurement for candidates to fast-track themselves to rank by representing nan nine successful fixtures.

In 2024 location was a 77% summation successful women applying to suffice arsenic subordinate members while nan number of women's out-matches played by nan MCC accrued by 34%.

A dedicated recruitment serviceman for women's playing members - Emma Marsh - was appointed successful 2024.

England's women person ne'er played a Test lucifer astatine Lord's - nan Home of Cricket - though 1 is scheduled against India astatine nan crushed successful 2026.

The MCC's workforce is person to an moreover split, pinch 60% of its labor antheral and 40% of them female.

In June 2023, nan Independent Commission for Equity successful Cricket (ICEC) said successful its study that nan MCC had a pivotal domiciled to play successful eradicating sexism from nan game.

At Wednesday's meeting, ex-England batter Ed Smith was named arsenic nan MCC's caller president, replacing Lord King. Smith's 12-month word originates connected 1 October.