MCC announces squad for next month's Pakistan tour
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has confirmed that they will be touring Pakistan next month and announced a 12-man squad for the same. Cricket returned to Pakistan after ten long years when Sri Lanka toured for a three-match T20I series and MCC World Cricket Committee is hopeful of bringing more cricketing action to the fans of Pakistan, who suffered from a ten-year-long drought.
MCC President Kumar Sangakkara will be leading the MCC side for the matches and the side will be traveling to Lahore next month. The squad consists of England player Ravi Bopara, who recently changed county sides from Essex to Sussex. Somerset's Roelof van der Merwe and the Scottish duo of Michael Leask and Safyaan Sharif are also part of the squad.
Besides the main squad, MCC will also have three players representing them who will each play one match during the tour. These three players are Liam Dawson, Samit Patel and Phil Salt, who will also be participating in the Pakistan Super League.
John Stephenson, MCC Assistant Secretary (Cricket), was quoted as saying by Lords' website,
“We are thrilled to be able to name a strong squad for this tour, which blends youth and experience for a strong side of high quality.
“We have really appreciated the collaborative approach from the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan Super League, which has enabled us to arrange fixtures against sides preparing for this year’s PSL tournament as well as to secure the services of some of those participating."
MCC Chief Executive and Secretary Guy Lavender will accompany the squad as Team Manager, with MCC Head Coach Ajmal Shahzad providing coaching.
MCC Squad for Pakistan tour: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), 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.