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By Oliver Brett
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The leading cricket official in the United Arab Emirates says the country would be "honoured" to host the MCC in the traditional county curtain-raiser.
The MCC is considering a plan to play champion county Durham in early April at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium in a four-day match trialling pink balls.
And Emirates Cricket Board chief executive Dilawar Mani told BBC Sport: "We would obviously accommodate them.
"It would be a great honour for Abu Dhabi to host something like that."
Playing with pink cricket balls in both one-day internationals and day-night Tests is one of the MCC's big ideas to shake up the game.
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606: DEBATE
Oliver Brett
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Trials with the pink ball, dyed with a pigment that does not wear off as quickly as with a white ball, began in the winter of 2007-08 and have gradually been stepped up.
The MCC wants to use them under lights in the May 2010 Lord's Test against Bangladesh, in what could be cricket's first day-night Test.
Not all counties have taken to pink balls readily. Durham are one of those opposed to the development, but they will be the county - with Steve Harmison leading the attack - who could take on the MCC in the desert next spring.
Lord's has been hosting the county opener since 1902, with the MCC team generally made up of young players on the fringes of national selection. But the match has often been tough viewing for spectators as it is regularly played in bitterly cold weather on flat pitches.
Next season it has to be fitted in before 8 April, several weeks before Abu Dhabi - currently hosting the one-day series between Pakistan and New Zealand - encounters extreme heat.
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If we were to host the MCC, the fixture would attract a fair amount of support from Western ex-patriates
Dilawar Mani
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"It is definitely an option we are considering," Keith Bradshaw, MCC's chief executive, told The Daily Telegraph. "We're determined to organise some three or four-day cricket under lights using a pink ball and this is a good opportunity.
"It is one of many options, but we think it would be good for the development of the game. Ideally we would like to hold a [trial match] at Lord's but we have certain restrictions using the lights, so there is the possibility of scheduling the match overseas."
Mani added: "We've had a number of four-day games here and we have more scheduled in the ICC's Intercontinental Cup.
"The match referee in Tuesday's match [in which Pakistan successfully defended 287-9 against New Zealand] told me he thought it was an excellent wicket.
"I'm sure, if we were to host the MCC, the fixture would attract a fair amount of support from Western ex-patriates."
A handful of English counties have played pre-season warm-ups in Abu Dhabi and neighbouring grounds in the Emirates for the past three years, and Mani said he was "looking forward" to them coming again next March.
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