Tamim Iqbal Among Five Cricketers Awarded Honorary Life Membership by Lords MCC

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodian of the Laws of Cricket, has announced the awarding of its prestigious Honorary Life Membership to five international cricketers in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the game.

The list includes Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President and former national captain Tamim Iqbal, along with India’s Cheteshwar Pujara, Australia’s Mel Jones, and New Zealand stars Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine.

Tamim Iqbal Earns Prestigious Recognition

Tamim, one of Bangladesh’s greatest-ever opening batters, became only the second Bangladeshi cricketer to have his name inscribed on the Lord’s Honours Board after scoring a century against England in 2010. He has amassed more than 5,000 Test runs and remains Bangladesh’s highest run-scorer in One-Day Internationals with over 8,000 runs. More recently, he became the youngest-ever president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

With this honour, Tamim joins the elite group of Bangladeshis to receive MCC’s prestigious Honorary Life Membership.

New Zealand legends Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine were present at Lord’s to receive their memberships. Both have already announced that they will retire from international cricket following the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Former Australia international Mel Jones, a two-time Women’s World Cup winner and two-time Ashes champion, has built a successful career as a cricket commentator since retiring from playing. Beyond cricket, she was widely recognised for her humanitarian efforts in helping members of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team evacuate their country and settle safely in Australia. In recognition of her contribution, she received the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket Award in 2025.

India’s Test Stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara, one of India’s finest Test batters, represented his country in 103 Test matches, scoring 7,195 runs, including 19 centuries. He has also accumulated more than 21,000 runs in first-class cricket and has recently been involved in cricket commentary. Last year, he had the honour of ringing the traditional five-minute bell before the Lord’s Test match.