The MCC Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Sarah Fane OBE as its next Director.

Assuming the role in April, Sarah succeeds current Director, Abi Carter, who departs at the end of February.

Sarah brings a wealth of experience from her previous role as Founder and Chief Executive of Afghan Connection. Since she founded Afghan Connection in 2002, the charity has supported some 500,000 children with health, education and cricket in Afghanistan, building and renovating 130 schools, and training more than 1,000 teachers.

In partnership with MCC and alongside the meteoric rise of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team to achieve Test status, Afghan Connection has delivered cricket projects to more than 100,000 young people. It has held coaching camps and tournaments for boys and girls and also to the visually impaired and has built 110 cricket pitches in schools.

As a result of her work to promote and nurture the cricketing scene in Afghanistan, Fane was made an Honorary Life Member of MCC in 2012.

The MCC Foundation runs a network of Hubs across the UK, providing coaching and access to high-quality facilities to state-educated boys and girls aged 11 to 15.

Together with MCC, the Foundation is also engaged in the delivery of an extensive programme of cricket activity in Nepal, and launched its first major overseas project in Pokhara in November 2019.

Phillip Hodson, Chairman of MCC Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Sarah on board. The experience that she brings to the Foundation is exceptional and we look forward to her building on the momentum of an extraordinary cricketing year in 2019 to develop the Foundation into a world-leading cricket charity. 

“The MCC Foundation has been transformed over the past two years. Abi and her small team have done a fantastic job to strengthen our financial base and oversee the growth and effectiveness of the Foundation’s Hub programme.

“We wish Abi well in her future career, and on behalf of both MCC and the Foundation, thank her for over 11 years of service at Lord’s.”

MCC Foundation