Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) have announced a brand new initiative of Legacy tours, as part of it’s overseas touring programme and Nepal will be the first destination for the team as part of the programme. MCC squad will travel to the Himalayan country from Nov 01st – 14th, 2019.

Nepal was chosen as the first country for MCC to visit after discussions between MCC and International Cricket Council (ICC). MCC last toured Nepal in 2015 as part of the redevelopment tour after earthquakes left massive destruction in the country including severe damage to cricket facilities. MCC charitable arm, MCC Foundation, will be raising funds to help better the playing infrastructure in the country.

The legacy tour taking place in Nov 2019 will be the first of the three in the program, which will see MCC team’s coming in for three consecutive years to develop cricket in the country. The program includes development of the game off the field and at the grass-roots level. Feasibility of developing facilities, training of local people to work in cricket and initiating community programmes are also part of the program. The Foundation will fund new pitches, coach education, kit provision, and a new schools tournament in Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city.

The tour will consist of one three-day game, two 50-over matches and three T20s games during the squad’s stay in the country. As part of the Legacy Tours programme, the MCC touring squad along will MCC Foundation will lay nets in five government schools, upskill local coaches and teachers, provide kit and cricket training, and establish a new schools league for both girls and boys in the city.

Training sessions will also be conducted in one of the five schools – Shree Barahi Higher Secondary School – on 11th and 12th Nov, 2019.

MCC squad to tour Nepal

Jimmy Adams (Captain), Yasir Arafat, Billy Godleman, Miles Hammond, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Callum Jackson, Will Rhodes, Alex Spencer, Alex Thomson, Will Vanderspar, Ed Young, Tom Westley & Chris Wright

Nepal Squads for MCC Matches

T20 Squad: Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Karan KC, Amit Shrestha, Pawan Sarraf, Sandeep Lamichhane, Binod Bhandari, Kushal Bhurtel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Jora, Sushan Bhari & Avinash Bohara

50-overs Squad: Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Binod Bhandari, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami, Ishan Pandey, Paras Khadka, Bikram Sob, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Sharad Vesawkar & Basant Regmi

First-Class Match Squad: Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Karan KC, Pawan Sarraf, Sandeep Lamichhane, Binod Bhandari, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami, Raju Rijal, Sharad Vesawkar, Rohit Kumar Paudel & Jitendra Mukhiya

Support Staff

Richard Greatorex (Tour Manager)

Owen Dawkins (Coach)

Jeff Evans (Umpire)

Alan Jones (Scorer)

Match Schedule

Matches to be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kathmandu:

3rd Nov 2019: vs Nepal Under-19s (50 overs)

4th Nov 2019: vs Nepal (50 overs)

6th – 8th Nov 2019: vs Nepal (first-class three-day match)

9th Nov 2019: vs Mixed National Side/Under-19s (T20)

Matches to be played at the Pokhara Rangasala Cricket Ground, Pokhara:

11th Nov 2019: vs Pokhara Invitational XI (T20)

12th Nov 2019: vs Chief Minister’s XI (T20)

Paras Khadka, ex-captain of the Nepal Cricket Team, said on MCC website: “There is so much passion for cricket in Nepal, and with the growth of the national team over the past few years, now is the time to connect that passion and put a structure and development path in place for the next generation of young Nepalese players.

“I am delighted that MCC has chosen Nepal as the first destination for its Legacy Tours and I hope that this will help create a sustainable approach to cricket in the country.”

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