Sport

Dravid joins Ganguly in heading to Abu Dhabi for MCC's season opener

The former India captain will play for MCC in a four-day game against Nottinghamshire while his predecessor will replace him in a Twenty20 tournament featuring four English sides.

Press Association

March 15, 2011

  • English
  • Arabic

Rahul Dravid, the India batsman, has been announced as part of a strong MCC squad for the curtain-raiser to the new English domestic season.

MCC will play county champions Nottinghamshire in a four-day game at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium at the end of March, before both teams take part in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 Trophy alongside Durham and Sussex.

The side, which will be captained by Australia's Chris Rogers, who has signed for Middlesex, will also contain Afghans Mohammad Nabi and Hamid Hassan, as well as England and Surrey wicketkeeper Steven Davies.

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Dravid will be replaced by Sourav Ganguly, his former India teammate, in the Twenty20 side.

This will be the second year in succession that the flagship match has been staged abroad and will be played under floodlights with pink cricket balls.

MCC head of cricket John Stephenson said: "MCC is very pleased to be returning to Abu Dhabi for the Champion County match.

"We felt that we got some very positive results from the first day-night Champion County match last year, and hope that this evidence will soon translate into day-night Test cricket, which should help to re-invigorate the five-day international game."

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Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer