Ganguly, Dravid to play for MCC

[Zap_Brannigan]

Notts to face Dravid for MCC game Indian Test batsman Rahul Dravid is the top name in the MCC squad to face Nottinghamshire in the curtain-raiser to the new season. Dravid will only play in the traditional four-day game, while his Indian team-mate Sourav Ganguly is included in the Twenty20 squad. Notts coach Wayne Noon said: "It's an honour to be involved. "Bowling at Rahul Dravid in a four-day game is the sort of challenge that I'd expect our bowlers to thrive on." The Sheikh Zayed Stadium is the venue for the four-day day-nighter which gets underway on Sunday, 27 March. Their [MCC] selection underlines how seriously they are taking the game Notts coach Wayne Noon "There are places up for grabs, although we have a firm idea of the core of our side," added Noon. "One or two players will probably find themselves in the team at the start of the season based on the form they show in the meantime. "There has been a lot of interest from our players about exactly who would be included in the MCC squad but their selection underlines how seriously they are taking the game. "We're going to pick a side that we feel can win the game but it's clear that we're going to get four days of intense cricket and that's exactly what we need at this stage of our pre-season preparation." and academy graduates Jake Ball and Scott Elstone will travel, although Andre Adams, Darren Pattinson and Adam Voges miss out, as they complete their domestic duties in the southern hemisphere. Once the four-day game is completed, Ganguly will be the top name for MCC in a Twenty20 tournament at the beginning of April which also includes Notts, Durham, Sussex and a select Fly Emirates XI. Nottinghamshire squad: Ali Brown, Jake Ball, Neil Edwards, Scott Elstone, Luke Fletcher, Paul Franks, Alex Hales, Steven Mullaney, Akhil Patel, Samit Patel, Ben Phillips, Chris Read, Charlie Shreck, Mark Wagh, Graeme White. MCC squad: Chris Rogers (Middlesex & Australia), Steven Davies (Surrey & England), Rahul Dravid (India - four-day game only), Sourav Ganguly (India - T20 game only), Hamid Hassan (Afghanistan), Simon Jones (Hampshire & England), Gary Keedy (Lancashire), Steve Kirby (Somerset & England Lions), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Stephen Moore (Lancashire & England Lions), Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), Stephen Peters (Northamptonshire), Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Omar Ali (MCC Young Cricketer). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/counties/nottinghamshire/9425501.stm