• Test captain to play in traditional season curtain-raiser in Abu Dhabi • Nick Compton will lead MCC side on 22 March

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The England Test captain Alastair Cook has been included in the MCC squad for the season-opening Champion County match against Yorkshire.

But Cook will not lead the side in Abu Dhabi, with that honour instead falling to his former international team-mate Nick Compton.

John Stephenson, MCC head of cricket, said: “This is certainly the strongest team we’ve ever selected for this fixture and I’m sure Nick Compton will lead the group expertly.

“Of course to have a batsman of Alastair Cook’s calibre involved shows the standing this fixture has in professional cricket and I’m delighted to have him at the top of the order.”

Cook, making his fourth appearance in the fixture, and Compton are joined by Worcestershire’s Daryl Mitchell and Hampshire’s former England international Michael Carberry in a squad heavy on opening batsmen.

The Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari also batted at the top of the order for much of last season, while James Hildreth of Somerset is the other frontline batsman and Kent’s Sam Billings will keep wicket.

Matt Dunn of Surrey joins Durham pair Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions in the seam attack while Kent’s Adam Riley will vie with Ansari for spin bowling duties.

The MCC squad will also contest the Emirates Twenty20 tournament on 20 March along with Yorkshire, Lancashire and Sussex. The Nepal captain Paras Khadka is part of the squad for the short format, along with an “international T20 star” to be announced next week.

The Champion County match takes place on 22 March and will be played under floodlights with a pink ball.

Stephenson said: “MCC has played a big part in exploring the possibilities of day/night Test cricket played with a pink ball and we are hoping to see a day/night Test between Australia and New Zealand later this year.

“I’m sure these matches in March will show, once again, that pink-ball cricket can reinvigorate the longer form of the game.”

MCC squad to face Yorkshire

Alastair Cook (Essex), Nick Compton (Middlesex, capt), Michael Carberry (Hampshire), James Hildreth (Somerset), Zafar Ansari (Surrey, Cambridge), Daryl Mitchell (Worcestershire), Sam Billings (Kent, Loughborough), Matt Dunn (Surrey), Graham Onions (Durham), Adam Riley (Kent, Loughborough), Chris Rushworth (Durham).