After a gap of 47 years, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) made their visit to Pakistan on Thursday to play three T20’s and one ODI matches against Pakistan A team along with different clubs.
MCC known as the owner of Lord’s Cricket Ground and the Guardian of the Laws of the game reached Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore today’s morning, with 15 members — 12 squads and three coaching staffs.
Veteran Sri Lankan player Kumar Sangakkara is leading the team. Other players include 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.
Meanwhile, Lahore Qalander will host the first confrontation with MCC on February 14, at Gaddafi Stadium, while MCC will play their sole ODI against Pakistan A team now known as Pakistan Shaheen at Atchison College ground. MCC will play the two other matches against Northern team and Multan Sultan, respectively.
For the today session the team will go for practice in Gaddafi Stadium, after which the captain Kumar Sangakkar will have a media talk along with PCB’s CEO Wasim Khan.
The news of MCC’s tour to Pakistan was being confirmed by Wasim Khan on December 18 of last year, after his meeting with MCC staff. Whereas, MCC’s last tour to Pakistan goes back to 1973.
On the other hand, the World Cricket Committee has played a vital role in bringing MCC to Pakistan.
Nonetheless, the security situation in Pakistan has been improved to the extent that Lahore has been declared a safer city from London and New York by the World Crime Index report 2019.
“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.” John Stephenson, the Assistant Secretary of MCC briefed media.
Complete tour schedule and teams squad
Friday 14th February – Lahore Qalandars v MCC (T20)
Gaddafi Stadium, 5.00pm PKT/12.00noon 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)
Pakistan Shaheens:
Saud Shakeel (captain), Ehsan Adil, Hassan Mohsin, Imran Butt, Imran Rafiq, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Asghar, Omair Bin Yousaf, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Sameen Gul, Zeeshan Malik
Northern:
Rohail Nazir (captain, wicketkeeper), Faizan Riaz, Ali Imran, Haider Ali, Mubashir Khan, Munir Riaz, Nuaman Ali, Sarmad Bhatti, Shahzad Azam, Shiraz Khan, Zaid Alam, Zeeshan Malik
