HAMPSHIRE captain Jimmy Adams is preparing to play alongside Rahul Dravid after swapping Barbados for Dubai.

Adams has flown back from Hampshire’s pre-season tour in the Caribbean to join the rest of the MCC squad in the United Arab Emirates.

He is set to play in a two-day T20 tournament alongside former India star Dravid in Dubai before the MCC begin their traditional four-day game against the champion county, Warwickshire, in Abu Dhabi, writes SIMON WALTER.

The T20 tournament starts tomorrow and also features Sussex, Lancashire and a Fly Emirates XI.

Adams is expected to open the batting with Joe Denly when the MCC face Warwickshire in day/night conditions with a pink Kookaburra ball, on Sunday.

“It’s very nice to be asked to play and the week’s going to fly by, there’s a lot of cricket to be played out there,” he said.

“We played a couple of Twenty20 trial games with a pink ball against Essex five years ago and I’ve heard mixed reports on it.

“But it will obviously be different over four days and I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve had first-hand experience.”

The tour is managed by MCC’s head of cricket, John Stephenson, the former Hampshire player.

“I played second-team cricket with John when I was just starting out so it will be good to see him,” Adams added. I know some of the other guys more than others, like Peter Trego, who I played a lot of West of England Schools and England Under-19s cricket with.

“It should be a very good experience.”

Meanwhile, Hampshire end their pre-season tour with a two-day friendly against Barbados, starting today.

New signing Adam Wheater will have a scan on the side injury that has limited him to one game when the squad returns at the weekend.