Eoin Morgan, former England captain, has been appointed to the board of directors for London Spirit. In this role, he will represent the interests of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), owners of Lord’s, working alongside the incoming co-owners, the “Tech Titans.”
The “Tech Titans,” officially known as Cricket Investor Holdings Limited, are a consortium of Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurs led by Nikesh Arora, CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks. They made a significant bid of £144 million earlier this year for a 49% stake in London Spirit, with the deal expected to be finalized soon after extensive contractual negotiations.
The MCC will maintain its majority 51% share in the franchise, which will be reflected in its representation on the Spirit board, holding four out of seven seats. The new joint-venture partners will appoint the remaining three directors.
Morgan, who captained London Spirit’s men’s team for the first two seasons of The Hundred, has a long-standing connection with Lord’s, stemming from his early days with Middlesex. His appointment to the board leverages his extensive experience and knowledge of franchise cricket. He was also recently ratified as the MCC’s incoming chair of cricket, succeeding former England batter Claire Taylor.
The MCC has also appointed its chief executive and secretary, Rob Lawson, and incoming committee member Julian Metherell to the London Spirit board. Metherell played a pivotal role in the investment process and received personal thanks from MCC chair Mark Nicholas for his contributions during negotiations with the “Tech Titans.” The ratification process for all eight Hundred deals is nearing completion after prolonged negotiations concerning key documents, including the participation agreement with the ECB. ECB chief executive Richard Gould noted earlier this month that while the process took “longer than we thought,” it has reached “a really good state of play.”
In other news for the defending Hundred champions, London Spirit’s women’s team has announced a leadership overhaul. Charlie Dean will take over as captain from Heather Knight, who has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Chris Liddle will replace Ashley Noffke as head coach. Knight, the former England captain, will remain with the squad in a mentorship capacity, with Kira Chathli, a member of the 2022 title-winning Oval Invincibles side, joining the squad as Knight’s replacement. Ashley Noffke is moving on to a new coaching role with the Pakistan team. Fraser Stewart, London Spirit’s general manager, expressed gratitude for Noffke’s “hard work, dedication and excellence,” crediting him for his key role in securing the team’s first title.
