MCL: Sourav Ganguly appointed Libra Legends captain

Kolkata, Jan 12: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was today named captain and ambassador of Libra Legends in the upcoming Masters Champions League (MCL) to be played in Dubai and Sharjah from January 28 to February 13.

Full list of squads for the tournament

Ganguly will lead a team which will have South African iconic allrounder Jacques Kallis, left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, English spinner Graeme Swann, Aussie speedster Shaun Tait, spinner Brad Hogg, Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate among others.

Excited to lead the side, Ganguly said: "A team which has Kallis and Swann has to be good. There're a lot of current players in my team. So it will be good. It's a good team. It will be fun.

"We have to find the right combination. We've Michael Lumb who's an opener. Kallis obviously will not open. All teams are good. Hope I reach the roof this time," Ganguly said in a lighter vein.

The iconic lefthander recently played for Sachin Blasters in the three-match series against (Shane) Warne's Warriors at the Cricket All Stars in the USA. Ganguly who also scored a halfcentury in the Cricket All Stars in November last year, said he was surprised the way he batted.

"I looked at the boundary and told myself, 'Jesus! the boundary looks big, can I clear it...' But when I started hitting strokes it did not feel I had not stopped playing. I was surprised," he said.

Coached by former India speedster Abey Kuruvilla, the team will also have the likes of Ryan Sidebottom, Michael Lumb, Ian Butler, Sean Ervine and Pakistan's Taufeeq Umar.

MCL is an innovative concept that brings the legends of the game back into action in a T20 format as close to 250 players who have retired from all formats of International cricket went under the hammer to be part of one of the six franchises in MCL.

Libra Legends Squad: Sourav Ganguly (captain) and Ajay Ratra (both India); Jacques Kallis and Nick Boje (both SA); Graeme Swann, Ryan Sidebottom, Michael Lumb (England); Shaun Tait, Brad Hogg and Marcus North (Australia); Ian Butler (NZ); Sean Ervine (Zimbabwe); Taufeeq Umar (Pakistan); and Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands).

PTI