MCC begin their overseas touring programme for 2020 later this week, when a thirteen-man squad departs for Argentina.
The thirteen-day trip is the Club’s first visit to the South American country since 2013 and MCC will play a mixture of 50-over and T20 cricket on the tour.
The squad of MCC Playing Members has been selected from areas across the UK, including Cheshire, Essex and Nottinghamshire. The majority of fixtures will be played against the Argentinian National Team, who are currently ranked 47th in the ICC T20 rankings and won the 2019 South American Men’s Championships in November.
Matches will take place in Buenos Aires, at the Belgrano Athletic Club and the Hurlingham Club. Both grounds hosted first-class cricket against MCC in the early part of the twentieth century.
MCC Overseas Tours aim to develop the game in areas of the world where cricket is less popular and the Club has played regularly against teams from South America in recent years. This tour will also include a junior coaching clinic at the Belgrano Athletic Club, where the squad will pass on tips to local youngsters.
International cricket was first played in Argentina in the mid-nineteenth century and the country went on to play a number of first-class matches between 1911 and 1938. Despite a post-war decline as a cricketing nation, Argentina joined the International Cricket Council (ICC) as an Associate Member in 1974 and currently competes in various ICC tournaments.
MCC’s tour will be managed by Darren Bicknell, the former Surrey and Nottinghamshire batsman. The 52 year-old scored just shy of 20,000 first-class runs in his 19-year career as a professional cricketer and he is currently Chairman of Cricket at Nottinghamshire CCC and Head Coach of the county’s Under-15 team.
The captain for the tour is Hassan Khan, who plays for Finchley Cricket Club in the Middlesex County League. Born and raised in Australia, the all-rounder has spent the last decade in the UK and previously played for Ealing CC.
"we are committed to using our global reach to help develop cricket through our overseas touring programme"
John Stephenson, MCC Assistant Secretary (Cricket) said: “MCC is known throughout the world and we are committed to using our global reach to help develop cricket through our overseas touring programme.
“Our relationships with nations such as Argentina form an important part of broadening our sport’s international appeal. MCC Overseas Tours also provide our Playing Members with the opportunity to broaden their personal cricketing experience by representing the Club in another country.”
The trip to Argentina begins a busy touring programme for MCC in 2020. The Club will also send tours to Denmark, Spain and Uganda, as well as to Pakistan. Announced last month, the Pakistan tour will be led by MCC President Kumar Sangakkara, who will also captain MCC for a four-day first-class match against the Champion County, Essex CCC, at Galle International Stadium in his homeland, Sri Lanka, in March.
A women’s tour to Nepal is also planned for 2020, part of the ‘Legacy Tour’ series, in conjunction with the MCC Foundation.
Tour Party
Darren Bicknell – Tour Manager
Hassan Khan (Finchley - Captain)
David Atkin (Chester Boughton Hall)
Rohan Bhome (Buckhurst Hill)
Sam Burge (East Molesey)
Ben Claypole (Brondesbury)
Matthew Dickinson (Richmond)
Jonathan Fawcett (East Molesey)
Johan Malcolm (Brondesbury)
James Overy (Brondesbury)
Will Phillips (Richmond)
Oli Smithson (Datchet)
Thomas Ullyott (Cuckney)
Dane Williams (Neston)
Neil Bainton - Umpire
Fixtures
Saturday 18th January: MCC v Argentina (T20 - Belgrano Athletic Club)
Sunday 19th January: MCC v Argentina (50 overs - Hurlingham Club)
Tuesday 21st January: MCC v ACA XI (50 overs - Belgrano Athletic Club)
Thursday 23rd January: MCC v Argentina (T20 - Belgrano Athletic Club)
Saturday 25th January: MCC v Argentina (2 x T20 - Hurlingham Club)
Sunday 26th January: MCC v Argentina (2 x T20 Belgrano Athletic Club)
Overseas Tours