Marylebone Cricket Club Calls For New Leadership As Guy Lavender Steps Down

Lord's Cricket Ground experiences leadership changes through significant events

MCC starts looking for a new chief executive after Guy Lavender leaves /

By Mohamed Bahaa

Seeking a new chief executive, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the esteemed body supervising Lord's Cricket Ground and the rules of cricket, this comes as Guy Lavender gets ready to leave his post to take the same one at Cheltenham Racecourse.

Renowned for its preservation of the cricket rules and the venerable Lord's, MCC is negotiating a period of major change with numerous important leadership appointments. Bruce Carnegie-Brown will be replaced as chairman in October by Mark Nicholas. Mervyn King will concurrently succeed Nicholas as president. The club replaced Jamie Cox with Rob Lynch as director of cricket and operations earlier this year.

Current chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown hailed Lavender as a "outstanding CEO" in a statement attesting to his leaving. Among Lavender's noteworthy accomplishments during his time are leading the club through the obstacles of the COVID-19 epidemic, furthering Lord's' renovation, preserving strong financial health, and deftly organizing big events including the men's 50-over World Cup final in 2019.

Lavender has also been very helpful in continuous negotiations on the future of The Hundred competition between members of MCC and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Especially, MCC is expected to buy a 51% share in the London Spirit franchise later this year; the ECB will handle the sale of the other 49%. Nicholas recently noted that this stake has attracted interest from various Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.

When Lavender considered his time as CEO of this outstanding club, he said, "It has been an immense honor and privilege to have been CEO of this great club. I have every confidence that MCC will go from strength to strength. The committed, excellent and diligent staff across the club do a superb job in support of the membership and make the MCC the wonderful club it is."

MCC has already started the search for Lavender's successor under the direction of the nominations committee later this year. The club promised Lavender would carry on his responsibilities till a seamless transition could guarantee before his official leaving.

MCC's heritage preservation and navigation of the changes with the same passion and excellence that have marked its past remain first as it opens this new chapter.