MCC instigate lobbying commitee

Marylebone Cricket Club, the former governor of the world game and the guardian of its laws, has renewed its drive to become an influence on the modern-day game by forming a committee of leading Test cricketers from eight of the ten member countries.

The MCC World Cricket Committee will be under the chairmanship of the former England captain and MCC president, Tony Lewis, and its remit will be to lobby the ICC and guard the fundamental aspects of the game at all levels, particularly those concerning the laws and the spirit of cricket.

"MCC, in my time, has always been a chamber of fair debate and seriously democratic," Lewis told The Times, as he attempted to do away with the traditionally stuffy image of the club. "Everything [is] decided in what was believed to be the best interests of cricket and cricketers."

The first meeting will take place at Lord's on April 24, with a committee that comprises five former England captains in Mike Brearley, Mike Gatting, Michael Atherton, Geoffrey Boycott and Alec Stewart; Australia's Steve Waugh and Tony Dodemaide; India's current captain, Rahul Dravid; Martin Crowe from New Zealand; Zimbabwe's Andy Flower; Majid Khan from Pakistan; Barry Richards from South Africa; Courtney Walsh from West Indies, and the former Test umpire, David Shepherd.

Crowe, Shepherd and Gatting will not be able to attend the inaugural meeting, but between them, the committee members have 1,183 Test caps. Items on the agenda will include an investigation into laws 24.2 and 24.3, which deal with unfair deliveries, and the question of whether umpires should be permitted more assistance through the use of technology.

The idea is for the committee to "constructively question or challenge changes to the game", and Lewis was delighted to have attracted so many influential names to join. "They will be well qualified to discuss matters relating to national and international cricket," he said, "from the lowest level to the ICC, and to provide support or to challenge as appropriate."

The forum will replace the Laws, Spirit and Ethos sub-committee, which was created under the chairmanship of Ted Dexter in 2000, when MCC streamlined its committee structure.