Having impressed one and all with his speech that he delivered at the 2011 Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture, former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara will now become the first non-British president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on October 1.

He will be in that position for a year and his nomination was announced at Lord's by outgoing President Anthony Wreford at the MCC Annual General Meeting.

“It is a huge honour to be named the next President of MCC and it is a role that I am thoroughly looking forward to,” Sangakkara told the Lord's website. “For me, MCC is the greatest cricket club in the world, with its global reach and continued progress for cricket on and off the pitch.

“The year 2020 is going to be yet another significant one in cricket, especially at Lord's, and I am thrilled that I am going to be able to play a part in supporting its future as President of MCC.”

Commenting on the nomination, Wreford said: “As MCC looks to broaden both our horizons and international reputation, I'm delighted that Kumar has accepted the invitation, which he did in January this year, to be the next president of MCC.

“He is an outstanding individual both on and off the field and will make a huge contribution to the Club. In a World Cup and Ashes year, he will also have a significant role to play as President Designate.”