Kevin Pietersen is set to make his return to the domestic game in Oxford as he attempts to get back into the England reckoning.
He is named in Surrey’s 13-man squad to face Oxford MCC Universities in a three-day match in The Parks from tomorrow.
The star batsman, 34, if selected, will use it to prepare for their new LV= County Championship campaign.
Oxford’s students will also be up against other former England internationals Gareth Batty, Vikram Solanki and Chris Tremlett.
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Oxford make one change from the side which went down to a seven-wicket defeat against Middlesex this week.
Zimbabwean Malcolm Lake has exams and his place goes to Matt Hughes.
Considering the prospect of coming up against Pietersen, Oxford head coach Graham Charlesworth said: “We had a bit of a dress rehearsal with (Steve) Finn and those guys coming down, and the lads are pretty phlegmatic and not overawed.”
Oxford MCCU: Leach, H Hughes, Sabin, Paternott, Webb, M Hughes, Ellis, Weller, McIver, Sakande, Grundy.
Surrey: from Batty (capt), Ansari, Burns, Davies, Dunn, Foakes, Kapil, Meaker, Pietersen, Roy, Solanki, Tremlett, Wilson.
Meanwhile, Shane Warne has paid tribute to ex-Australian captain and broadcaster Richie Benaud, who died aged 84 on Thursday.
A leg-spinning all-rounder, Benaud played 63 Tests.
Fellow leg-spinner Warne said: “To me, he was like The Godfather of cricket.”
Elsewhere, Oxford CC captain Ian Crosby has been appointed as an Oxfordshire selector for this season.
He will work alongside head coach Rupert Evans and captain Luke Ryan.
TOMORROW’S FIXTURES
LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP Division 1
(1st day of 4)
Southampton: Hampshire v Sussex.
Lord’s: Middlesex v Nottinghamshire.
Taunton: Somerset v Durham.
Worcester: Worcestershire v Yorkshire.
Division 2
Leicester: Leicestershire v Glamorgan.
Northampton: Northants v Gloucestershire.
OTHER MATCH
(1st day of 3)
The Parks: Oxford MCCU v Surrey.
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