John Major, the cricket-loving former British prime minister, has been made an honorary life member of the prestigious Cricket Club of India in Mumbai. A life-long cricket fan and current president of Surrey, Major is in India as a representative of the charity "Seeing is Believing", which aims to raise funds for blind people.

The honour was conferred upon him during a gala lunch at the club's headquarters at the Brabourne Stadium, which was Mumbai's premier Test venue until a dispute in the 1970s led to the inauguration of the Wankhede Stadium, a few hundred metres down the road. Australia kicked off their recent tour of India with a three-day fixture at the ground.

The lunch was attended, among others, by Sunil Gavaskar, Polly Umrigar and the former Pakistani cricketer, Intikhab Alam. "I am honoured to be amidst so many greats of the game," said Major. "I will cherish it forever."