It may take female applicants to the Marleybone Cricket Club (MCC) all of 18 years to become members. But at the Queen's Park Cricket Club, the odds are one in 300.
The MCC's historic decision on Monday to allow women to become members, has turned attention to local cricket's grand old institution-QPCC.
At the moment, there is one female applicant on a list that according to QPCC president Willie Rodriguez is, ``over 300.''
``We do have an application. And it is in the normal place where applications go,'' Rodriguez told the Express yesterday. But that is quite a few years down the road.''
But unlike the MCC case, Queen's Park claims there is no closed door policy for females. ``There is no rule in the club that debars women from being members. I suppose we will just have to formalise the application if and when it arises,'' Rodriguez said.
``But right now,'' he stressed, ``it is not an issue simply because there is no situation that is imminent that is going to create the necessity for a vote.''
The wait for the hopeful lady, long as it already is, is made even longer by the process of one's application coming up for consideration.
Currently, Queen's Park has a ceiling of 2,400 members. But before a new one can be added Rodriguez said, certain things must happen.
``As people die, or are struck off the register or resign, in that case, we refer to our records of receipt of applications and we send out a ballot.''
The applicants must also have a proposer and seconder and that application form must be lodged with the secretary.
Rodriguez further explained that the process does not allow for leapfrogging except in special cases- ``players, sportsmen who the management considers are necessary for us to maintain our competitive edge.''