Kumar Sangakkara to lead MCC against Essex

Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain, is set to captain the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in their match versus county champions Essex on March 24. The news came to the fore on Thursday, October 31 and the game will be played in Sri Lanka at the legendary Galle International Stadium. Sangakkara is the first overseas president of the MCC after being appointed on October 1.

Before the contest, England and Sri Lanka would be playing at the same venue in the first Test of the two-match series. The clash between the MCC and county champions dates back to 1970 and has been taking place abroad since 2011. The previous match in Dubai was affected by rain. Sangakkara feels that the forthcoming match would benefit cricket in Sri Lanka to a large extent.

Kumar Sangakkara ready to play alongside young Essex players

“It is hugely important to support cricket in countries such as Sri Lanka and taking the Champion County match to Galle is a fantastic way for the Club to provide its backing for the game on a global level,” Sangakkara was quoted as saying in a statement.

He is also looking forward to playing alongside some young guns from the English county circuit. “I am looking forward to playing for and indeed captaining the MCC team, which will be full of exciting young talent ready to challenge the county champions,” the veteran added.

Shammi Silva, the president of Sri Lanka cricket, mentioned that it was an honour and privilege to host the encounter in Galle. “We are happy to be the host of this historic encounter, which marks the curtain-raiser to the new English domestic season,” he stated.

Sri Lanka has been chosen as the venue of the contest for a number of reasons. The MCC’s World Cricket committee will be meeting there in March. Moreover, the game is timed to co-inside with England’s matches in the ongoing World Test Championship.

As far as Sangakkara is concerned, the 42-year-old legend’s career lasted as many as 15 years. He played in 134 Tests and 404 ODIs in which he amassed 12,400 and 14,234 runs respectively. He also racked up 63 centuries and 145 fifties in his glorious career.

[interaction id=”5dbaf2992b2176300d62fe31″]