Melbourne, Dec 27 (IANS): Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) has announced that legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar has accepted its Honorary Cricket Membership. The MCC was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest sports clubs in Australia.

They are also responsible for the management and development of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which is currently hosting the traditional Boxing Day Test between India and Australia.

“An icon honoured. The MCC is pleased to announce that former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar has accepted an Honorary Cricket Membership, acknowledging his outstanding contribution to the game,” said the MCC on its X account on Friday.

Tendulkar is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of the game, with his international career running from 1989 to 2013. He hit 100 international centuries, amassing 34,357 runs in 664 matches for India and was a member of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team.

Tendulkar, who also captained India, played five Tests and seven ODIs for India at the MCG, scoring 449 and 190 runs, respectively. As of now, he is India’s leading run scorer in Test matches played at the MCG, with one century and three fifties against his name.

In 2012, Tendulkar was made an honorary member of the Order of Australia (OAM), becoming the first non-Australian cricketer to be given the honour. In the same year, he was also given the honorary life membership of the Sydney Cricket Club (SCC).

In 2014, Tendulkar was conferred with honorary life membership of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club in England. He also holds life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club, who are guardians of the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London and of MIG Cricket Club in Mumbai, a place where he trained as a youngster.