Recently, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), also known as the owner of Lord’s Cricket Ground and the Guardian of the Laws of the game, announced a 12-member squad for Pakistan tour in the current month. Now the Club has declared the fixtures.
As per MCC, this tour will take place between 13th and 19th of February, and the Club will play a 50-over match and three T20 games during the trip. All the games will be played in Lahore.
The team will be captained by veteran Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara who is also the current president of MCC.
The Club will face two Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams – Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans – in the T20 format. Apart from this, MCC will also play against Pakistan’s domestic T20 champions, i.e., Northern.
MCC will first face Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium. Qalandars’ team includes sensational talents like Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar Zaman. Following this game, Pakistan’s ‘A’ team will play the Sangakkara-led side in a 50-over match at Aitchison College.
The historic Club will then switch back to T20 mode and play the remaining matches against Pakistan’s domestic T20 champions Northern, and Multan Sultans of the PSL. These teams include England’s Moeen Ali and James Vince.
Speaking about the players, MCC includes mainly county cricketers and former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara. Michael Burgess, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, and Will Rhodes are in the squad representing the Warwickshire club, while Roelof van der Merwe and Fred Klaassen are from Somerset.
Leicestershire’s Arron Lilley and Kent’s Imran Qayyum have also found their place in the squad, along with Ross Whiteley from Worcestershire and Michael Leask and Safyaan Sharif from Scotland.
“This tour of Pakistan will be a momentous occasion for everyone involved. We expect the standard of cricket to be high during this trip. The MCC squad possesses both international and extensive domestic experience, which I am sure will prove strong opposition for some of Pakistan’s best-emerging cricketers and three squads of talented T20 players,” said MCC Head Coach Ajmal Shahzad.
“We hope that this tour helps contribute to the Pakistan cricket board’s wish of seeing international teams returning to tour the country,” added Shahzad.
Here’s the full schedule:
Friday 14th February – Lahore Qalandars v MCC (T20)
Gaddafi Stadium, 5.00pm PKT/12.00 noon GMT
Sunday 16th February – Pakistan Shaheens v MCC (50 overs)
Aitchison College, 9.30 am PKT/4.30 am GMT
Monday 17th February – Northern v MCC (T20)
Aitchison College, 12.30 pm PKT/7.30 am GMT
Wednesday 19th February – Multan Sultans v MCC (T20)
Aitchison College, 12.30 pm PKT/7.30 am GMT)
Here’s MCC Squad for Pakistan tour:
Kumar Sangakkara (c), Ravi Bopara, Michael Burgess, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Fred Klaassen, Michael Leask, Arron Lilley, Imran Qayyum, Will Rhodes, Safyaan Sharif, Roelof van der Merwe, Ross Whiteley.
