Dubai: India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and England Test captain Alastair Cook will be among the big names in action when the Emirates Airline Twenty20 tournament returns on Friday.
The high-profile pair will both play for a strong Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) side in the annual tournament, with English county clubs Yorkshire, Lancashire and three-time defending champions Sussex completing the line-up.
Former England opener Nick Compton will captain the MCC and he is excited by the prospect of teaming up with Yuvraj, who was the player of the 2011 Cricket World Cup before beating lung cancer and returning to the game.
“Yuvraj Singh is a worldwide name who has been on the international scene for some time and he has also had a few challenges, which are well documented,” Compton said. “He’s had some ups and downs and I think that level of experience and knowledge is something that will aid me and the other guys.
“To be able to tap into that knowledge and have a superstar in the squad ... we all know what it’s like playing cricket in India and Yuvraj really is a big superstar.”
Yorkshire are the reigning English county champions and boast plenty of players with England experience, including Tim Bresnan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Plunkett and new call-ups Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid.
Sussex have won the competition for the last three years and will look to the likes of Luke Wright and Matt Prior for inspiration.
Former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood is in Dubai with his county Durham and he offered some insights into the possible winners on Friday.
“Yorkshire are a very strong side. They’re big rivals of ours so I don’t like saying, but if you look at their line-up there’s a lot of international cricketers in there. I think they cover all bases — they’ve got a lot of pace bowling, spin and a strong batting line-up. I think they’re probably the favourites,” the veteran said.
