Pujara, Bates, Devine among new MCC Honorary Life Members

Cheteshwar Pujara, Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Mel Jones, and Tamim Iqbal have been elected as Honorary Life Members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The five cricketers were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the game.

Bates, Devine, and Jones received their memberships from MCC President Ed Smith and Chair Mark Nicholas at Lord's.

Pujara played 103 Tests, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60 with 19 centuries. A mainstay of India's Test batting for over a decade, he finished with more than 21,000 first-class runs. The 37-year-old has since moved into broadcasting.

Bates and Devine recently retired after New Zealand's group-stage exit at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Bates is the leading run-scorer in Women's T20 Internationals and amassed over 10,000 white-ball runs. Devine retired as one of the game's premier all-rounders, with over 8,000 runs and 240 wickets in ODIs and T20Is, and captained New Zealand to the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup title.

Mel Jones, a two-time Women's World Cup winner, has become a leading broadcaster and advocate for women's cricket.

Tamim Iqbal is Bangladesh's leading ODI run-scorer and second-highest Test run-getter, with over 13,000 international runs. He was recently appointed president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.