#edsmith

Women of Canada! - Farm Service Corps

The images above are from the Louis Allan fonds (MG30-C173) at Library and Archives Canada. Lois joined the Government of Ontario’s Farm Service Corps in the summer of 1918 to pick fruit for the E. D. Smith Company. As we have discussed previously, women worked in farm labour and related occupations throughout the First World War to support the vital food production industry. Allan was part of the group of roughly 2400 women who worked to harvest fruit in the Niagara region in 1918. In military “corps” fashion, many women camped in tents (as seen above) and were outfitted in uniforms such as the one below, preserved with the Fanshawe Pioneer Village (984.2.858).

While Fred’s fiancé Edith didn’t join the Farm Service Corps, she did have her own “farm life adventure”. Follow along later this month as we explore Edith’s journal describing her visit to Fred’s family farm in June 1918!

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has ushered in new leadership as Ed Smith commenced a 12-month term as President starting October 1. Alongside him, former England ODI captain Eoin Morgan steps into the role of Chair of Cricket, succeeding Claire Taylor. These appointments come at a pivotal moment for cricket’s historic guardian, raising questions about direction, legacy, and the stewardship of its laws and spirit.

The Legacy of MCC and the Weight of Office

The MCC is more than an elite club. Since its founding in 1787, it has held an outsized role: owner of Lord’s, custodian of the Laws of Cricket, and symbolic guardian of cricket’s traditions. Leadership changes there always ripple far beyond its Pall Mall headquarters.

To serve as MCC President is to oversee not just a club, but a global institution. That person becomes a steward of the game’s legal framework, ceremonial custodian, and often an influential voice in debates about cricket’s future. Meanwhile, the Chair of Cricket role bridges administration and on-field vision—overseeing how MCC interacts with broader cricket governance, the Laws, the spirit of the game, and evolving challenges (e.g. technology, integrity, format balance).

So when Ed Smith and Eoin Morgan step into their roles, they inherit more than title: they inherit a mantle of authority and expectation.

Ed Smith: From Selector to President

Ed Smith is no stranger to cricket’s higher echelons. His cricketing résumé includes first-class stints with Kent, Middlesex, and Cambridge, accumulating nearly 13,000 first-class runs and 34 centuries. After retiring from playing, Smith built a reputation as a thoughtful analyst, writer, broadcaster, and public intellectual in sport.

From 2018 to 2021, Smith served as England’s chief selector. That era included England’s first ICC Men’s World Cup win in 2019 under Morgan’s captaincy. That shared chapter becomes a thread connecting Smith’s past with his new presidency.

Upon assuming office, Smith expressed reflections on Lord’s as a personal and symbolic home: “Lord’s has been a special part of my life—cricket fan, player, then selector—and this is a fascinating moment in the club’s history.” He pledged to serve both the MCC and the wider game with commitment and humility.

Smith also brings a background in academia and sport leadership: he co-founded the Institute of Sports Humanities (ISH), which aims to develop sport leaders, and has written extensively about cricket’s cultural, ethical, and institutional dimensions.

Eoin Morgan: From Captain to Chair

Eoin Morgan’s appointment as Chair of Cricket is equally significant. Morgan is best known for captaining England to their first men’s World Cup in 2019 and for bold, innovative white-ball leadership. His playing career spanned 17 seasons with Middlesex and international stints with both Ireland and England.

Morgan replaces Claire Taylor, whose six-year tenure oversaw important decisions spanning women’s cricket, integration, and MCC’s evolving role. Morgan takes charge on a three-year term approved at the May AGM, giving him a window to imprint vision on MCC’s cricketing direction.

Morgan’s strengths lie in leadership transitions, strategic thinking, and bridging player perspectives with governance. His tenure as captain reshaped England’s aggressive white-ball identity. Now, as Chair of Cricket, his task is broader: managing MCC’s voice in cricket policy, fostering partnerships, and navigating future challenges in laws, formats, and ethics.

Strategic Questions Ahead

With these changes, several critical questions emerge:

Law and Rule Modernization: As MCC remains authoritative over cricket’s laws, Smith and Morgan must lead how MCC balances tradition and innovation—e.g. use of technology, fielding restrictions, format changes.

Global Relevance: Can MCC under new leadership retain global relevance, especially as cricket governance becomes more diversified (via ICC, franchises, regional boards)?

Transparency and Inclusion: In an era demanding accountability and inclusivity, how will MCC expand access, diversity, and decision transparency while preserving its heritage?

Player and Board Alignment: Morgan’s presence as Chair may help align player perspectives and MCC’s institutional vision. But harmonizing relationships with national boards, franchise leagues, and the ICC remains a tightrope.

Institutional Renewal vs. Legacy Guarding: Smith inherits a club steeped in tradition. But future challenges—pressure for reform, commercial demands, generational expectations—will test whether MCC can evolve without losing identity.

Past Precedents & Their Lessons

In recent years, MCC has adjusted to new realities: embracing women’s cricket, digitizing parts of its governance, and negotiating its role amid commercialization and league dominance. But each change has been cautious, balancing fan nostalgia, legal weight, and evolving expectations.

In past transitions, MCC Presidents and Chairs often came from elite cricketing backgrounds, but their impact varied depending on advocacy, vision, and the ability to adapt. Leadership alignment (President and Chair) has not always been seamless—conflicting priorities and generational gaps sometimes led to inertia. So Smith and Morgan stepping in together is a chance for alignment from the top.

What Early Moves Could Tell Us

Some early indicators to watch:

Will they revise or modernize parts of the Laws—especially around running between the wickets, powerplays, or clash between formats?

How proactively will MCC engage with leagues (e.g. The Hundred, franchise T20 competitions) in shaping broader rule alignment?

Will MCC expand its institutional outreach—more global partnerships, youth development, emerging cricket nations?

How will MCC address internal reforms: committee diversity, governance structures, membership expansion and modernization?

Can Morgan’s chairmanship create more synergy between MCC’s institution and the active cricket world (players, broadcasters, fans)?

Ed Smith and Eoin Morgan take over at MCC as heralds of continuity and potential change. Their mandates may seem ceremonial, but their influence over cricket’s traditions, rules, and institutional tone is real. The coming year will show whether MCC under their stewardship leans into promise or remains cautious in guarding its past.