Tamim Iqbal receives MCC honorary life membership

Former Bangladesh captain and current Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Tamim Iqbal has been awarded honorary life membership by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), becoming one of the few Bangladeshi cricketers to receive one of cricket's highest distinctions.

The MCC announced its latest group of Honorary Life Members on Thursday, recognising five international cricketers for their outstanding contributions to the game.

Alongside Tamim, the list includes New Zealand stars Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine, former Australia all-rounder Mel Jones and India's veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara.

Tamim enjoyed a distinguished international career spanning more than 16 years after making his Test debut in 2008.

He finished with more than 5,000 Test runs and remains Bangladesh's highest run-scorer in One-Day Internationals, having amassed over 8,000 runs in 243 matches. He is also Bangladesh's leading century-maker across all international formats.

Among the highlights of his career was a memorable century against England at Lord's in 2010, making him one of the select Bangladeshi cricketers to earn a place on the venue's iconic Honours Boards. He was also named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 2011.

Announcing the honours, MCC chief executive and secretary Rob Lawson said each recipient had made an exceptional contribution to cricket and richly deserved the recognition.

He added that the club looked forward to welcoming the new Honorary Life Members to Lord's in the years ahead.

Honorary Life Membership is among the most prestigious recognitions conferred by the MCC, the custodian of the Laws of Cricket and owner of Lord's Cricket Ground, acknowledging individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport.