MCC squad heads to Kathmandu

An MCC squad has set out for Kathmandu for a two-week tour of Nepal during which they will play five games and hold three coaching sessions with local cricketers. The party includes former England spinner Min Patel, former Sussex and Glamorgan allrounder Keith Newell ,and former Somerset stalwart Keith Parsons.

MCC have toured Nepal once before, in 2003, and are revisiting the world's newest republic in the hope of contributing to the development of cricket there. Nepal became an ICC Associate Member in 1996 and is currently in Division 5 of the World Cricket League. In November 2009 the national side will take part in the Asian Cricket Council's Twenty20 Cup which is the qualifier for the 2010 Asian Games competition.

MCC will contribute to the development of the game in Nepal by running coaching sessions in Kathmandu. Nepal won an ICC award for its junior cricket initiatives in 2007 and on March 23 and 24 members of the squad will be coaching the very cricketers who have benefited from the schemes - the national Under-15s and Under-17s sides. They will also take on combined teams of those cricketers in 50-over games on March 20 and 21.

Bringing the game to more young players and developing the game nationwide is a top priority for MCC and the ICC. MCC will leave a grant of $2500 and the ICC will donate $1250 to develop facilities and coaching programmes in the country.

MCC will also play a Twenty20 match against a Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) Select XI and a 50-over match against the CAN Secretary's XI. The tour will finish with a three-day match against the Nepal President's XI. All the games and coaching sessions will take place at the TU Ground, Kirtipur in Kathmandu.

MCC itinerary
Thursday March 19 - Coaching (PM)
Friday March 20 - Nepal Red Select XI (combined age-group side) (50 overs)
Saturday March 21 - Nepal Blue Select XI (combined age-group side) (50 overs)
Monday March 23 - Coaching Nepal under 15s
Tuesday March 24 - Coaching Nepal under 17s (AM), CAN Select XI (20 overs)
Wednesday March 25 - CAN Secretary's XI (50 overs)
Friday 27-Sunday March 29 - Nepal President's XI (3 days)