Tag: MCC

Karachi-born cricketer Ehtesham Ahmed has etched his name into Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) history after being awarded the prestigious 100-match cap by the club.

With this, he became the first player from both Pakistan and Ireland to achieve the milestone.

The honour was formally presented at the iconic Lord’s by current Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) President Ed Smith, marking a proud moment in the 41-year-old’s long and dedicated cricketing journey.

A former Karachi Under-17 player, Ehtesham has spent nearly two decades building an impressive career in the European club circuit after relocating to Ireland.

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Over the years, he has represented several leading sides in Leinster cricket, enjoying successful stints with clubs such as YMCA, Terenure, Balbriggan and Clontarf.

His consistent performances, professionalism and longevity at the highest club level have now been recognised with one of the MCC’s most respected individual honours.

The 100-match cap is reserved for players who have shown outstanding commitment and service to the MCC across different competitions and tours.

By reaching this landmark, Ehtesham joins a select group of cricketers to have represented the historic club on 100 occasions, underlining both his durability and value as a player over the years.

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In a significant change to the catching rules, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has made ‘bunny hop’ catches on the boundary illegal.

A ‘bunny hop’ is a boundary catching technique in which a fielder jumps, catches or taps the ball mid-air, hops outside the boundary, then leaps back in to complete the catch.

The prime example of this kind of catch was seen in the BBL 2023, when Michael Neser of Brisbane Heat chased a lofted drive from Sydney Sixers’ Jordan Silk. He caught the ball with a two-handed reverse cup catch but was carried over the boundary.

Following the Boundary Law, he tossed the ball up while airborne, landed outside the boundary, jumped again, and palmed the ball back into the field before returning to complete the catch.

Silk was ruled out and walked back, shaking his head in disagreement.

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Later, Neser said that he drew inspiration from Matt Renshaw’s effort to catch Hobart Hurricanes’ Matthew Wade during the BBL 2020 at the Gabba.

The legality of both catches was widely discussed in cricketing circles, with strong calls to amend the existing MCC Law on boundary catching.

Now as per the new rule, which will be integrated into the ICC Playing Conditions this month and then into the MCC’s Laws of Cricket in October 2026, a fielder who is airborne can only touch the ball once beyond the boundary and will need to come back inside the field for the catch to be called fair.

It is pertinent to mention that the new rule will be added to the ICC playing conditions as early as the new WTC cycle, which is scheduled to commence with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on June 17 in Galle.

However, the law itself will take effect from October 2026, when the next round of changes will come into play.

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LONDON: Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez was named in the list of renowned men and women cricketers, awarded with honorary life membership by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter, Hafeez expressed his gratitude to MCC for awarding him with honorary membership and acknowledging his services for the sport.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to @MCCOfficial honouring life membership acknowledging my services to this beautiful game of cricket. Looking forward to meet new friends & add value as member of MCC,” wrote Hafeez.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to @MCCOfficial honouring life membership acknowledging my services to this beautiful game of cricket 🏏. Looking forward to meet new friends & add value as member of MCC. pic.twitter.com/Z85nkIcnqV

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) April 5, 2023

Besides Hafeez, England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan and five Indian players including legendary skipper MS Dhoni were also acknowledged by the MCC.

Guy Lavender, Chief Executive & Secretary of MCC, said: “We are thrilled to be able to announce our newest cohort of Honorary Life Members of MCC, as we prepare for the new international summer.

“The names that have been announced today are some of the greatest international players of modern times, and we are privileged to now count them as valued Members of our Club.

“We are also pleased to be able to announce two individuals who have been awarded this honour for their monumental contributions off the pitch.”

It is worth mentioning here that Hafeez represented Pakistan in 218 ODIs, 119 T20Is and 55 Tests. The seasoned all-rounder was also a part of the national squad which won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.

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