Cook named in MCC squad

London - Alastair Cook was on Thursday included in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) squad for the Champion County match and the Emirates Twenty20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates in March.

Cook, omitted from England's one-day squad for the World Cup, made himself available for the trip so as to gain match practice ahead of England's three-match Test series against the West Indies in April.

The MCC will take part in the Emirates T20 tournament in Dubai on March 20 before tackling English county champions Yorkshire in the day/night Champion County match - the traditional curtain-raiser to the domestic season - in Abu Dhabi on March 22.

"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," said MCC head of cricket John Stephenson.

Cook will open the batting for the invitation team alongside new Middlesex signing Nick Compton, with Michael Carberry, James Hildreth and Graham Onions also included in the line-up.