MCC announces squad for Pakistan tour

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) have confirmed their squad which will tour Pakistan next month. 

MCC President Kumar Sangakkara will captain a strong twelve-man squad that will play its games in Lahore.

The squad includes experienced all-rounder Ravi Bopara who most recently was playing in the Bangladesh Premier League. 

Warwickshire contribute three players to the squad with Michael Burgess, Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Will Rhodes all included. Hannon-Dalby and Rhodes toured Nepal with MCC in November.

Somerset’s Roelof van der Merwe, who will play for Lord’s-based London Spirit in the inaugural Hundred competition later this year, is named alongside his Netherlands teammate Fred Klaassen.

Scotland's duo of Michael Leask and Safyaan Sharif, Leicestershire’s Arron Lilley, Kent’s Imran Qayyum and Worcestershire’s Ross Whiteley complete the main squad.

MCC’s on-field presence will be boosted further by three additional players, each of whom will play one match for the Club during the tour. The trio – Liam Dawson, Samit Patel and Phil Salt – are preparing to represent teams in this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) and their involvement is part of a collaboration between MCC and the tournament organisers.

The Club will play two PSL teams – Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans – in the T20 format and will also face Pakistan’s domestic T20 champions Northern.

John Stephenson, MCC Assistant Secretary (Cricket) said:  “As a Club, we share the PCB’s wish in wanting to see international teams returning to play in Pakistan on a regular basis and we hope that this tour contributes to those objectives.” 

MCC Chief Executive & Secretary Guy Lavender will accompany the squad as Team Manager, with MCC Head Coach Ajmal Shahzad providing coaching.

MCC squad to tour Pakistan: 

Kumar Sangakkara (President/Captain)

Guy Lavender (Tour Manager)

John Stephenson (Assistant Manager)

Ajmal Shahzad (Head Coach)

Ravi Bopara (Sussex)

Michael Burgess (Warwickshire)

Oliver Hannon-Dalby (Warwickshire)

Fred Klaassen (Kent)

Michael Leask (Scotland)

Arron Lilley (Leicestershire)

Imran Qayyum (Kent)

Will Rhodes (Warwickshire)

Safyaan Sharif (Scotland)

Roelof van der Merwe (Somerset)

Ross Whiteley (Worcestershire)

The following three players, who will appear in the upcoming Pakistan Super League, will each represent MCC in one match on the tour:

Liam Dawson (Hampshire/Peshawar Zalmi)

Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire/Lahore Qalandars)

Phil Salt (Sussex/Islamabad United)