Hampshire captain Michael Carberry and England Test captain Alastair Cook have been included in the MCC squad for the season-opening Champion County match against Yorkshire.

But Cook will not skipper the side in Abu Dhabi, with that honour instead falling to his former international team-mate Nick Compton.

The match will be played on March 22, in Abu Dhabi with a pink ball.

John Stephenson, MCC head of cricket, said: "This is certainly the strongest team we've ever selected for this fixture and I'm sure Nick Compton will lead the group expertly.

"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."

Cook, making his fourth appearance in the fixture, Carberry and Compton are joined by Worcestershire's Daryl Mitchell in a squad heavy on opening batsmen.

Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari also batted at the top of the order for much of last season, while James Hildreth of Somerset is the other frontline batsman. Kent's Sam Billings will keep wicket.

Matt Dunn of Surrey joins Durham pair Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions in the seam attack while Kent's Adam Riley will vie with Ansari for spin bowling duties.

The MCC squad will also contest the Emirates Twenty20 tournament on March 20 along with Yorkshire, Lancashire and Sussex. Nepal captain Paras Khadka is part of the squad for the short format, along with an "international T20 star" to be announced next week.

Former Hampshrie batsman Stephenson said: "MCC has played a big part in exploring the possibilities of day/night Test cricket played with a pink ball and we are hoping to see a day/night Test between Australia and New Zealand later this year.

"I'm sure these matches in March will show, once again, that pink ball cricket can re-invigorate the longer form of the game."