Marylebone Cricket Club in Bangladesh in 1976–77

The 14-man squad, with their ages at the start of the tour, was: • Ted Clark (captain, 39) • John Lofting (player-manager, 37) • John Barclay (22) • Alan Duff (38) • Mike Hooper (29) • Roderick Kinkead-Weekes (25) • Michael Mence (32) • Mick Norman (34) • Dudley Owen-Thomas (28) • Dan Piachaud (39) • Nigel Popplewell (19) • Brian Taylor (44) • Martin Vernon (25) • Derek Wing (33) Apart from Popplewell, whose first-class career was yet to begin, and Lofting, who never played first-class cricket, all the team had had first-class careers, of varying lengths, but only Barclay and Vernon were still playing at that level. ==The tour==

The MCC team arrived at Dhaka on 27 December 1976. On 29 December, they left for Rajshahi for the first 2-day match against the North Zone. However, the main attraction of the tour was the three-day unofficial Test match at Dhaka against the Bangladesh national side, which drew a total attendance of some 90,000. ==Matches==

Shamim Kabir led Bangladesh in the historic match at Dhaka. The other players were Raquibul Hasan, Mainul Haque Mainu, Syed Ashraful Haque, Omar Khaled Rumy, S. M. Faruk, Shafiq-ul-Haq Hira (wicket-keeper), Yousuf Babu, Daulatuzzaman, Dipu Roy Chowdhury and Nazrul Kader Lintu. ==Aftermath==

The positive report by the MCC about the standard of Bangladesh cricket helped Bangladesh gain associate membership of the International Cricket Council in July 1977. ==References==