Sorry you weren't in when we called...

At the risk of setting my application for membership back even farther (I'll be 47 before I get to the end of the waiting list unless there is a particularly cold winter or an outbreak of botulism that contaminates the Long Room cucumber sarnies), has the MCC turned chicken?

I only ask because I received a press release this morning about MCC's latest tour to Fiji. The MCC side, which includes Mike Powell of Glamorgan and Josh Knappett of Worcestershire, will play a few friendly games before taking on the Fiji national side in three 50-over matches at the end of next week. All well and good - and MCC are donating $2500 to Fijian and Samoan cricket while they're out there - but it appears that they have picked the perfect time to tour.

At the moment Fiji's finest cricketers aren't actually in the country. They are in Tanzania, where apparently the heat is causing some players to collapse, competing in the ICC World Cricket League Division 4. And they are playing quite poorly, too. Beaten by Afghanistan in their opening game, when they were dismissed for 52, Fiji then lost to mighty Italy yesterday by the small matter of 254 runs (318-5 vs 64 all out).

They then face four more thrashings in the next five days before flying home early next week. So MCC will be taking on a team that is knackered and demoralised and vulnerable. Brilliant planning, lads. That should ensure that MCC don't get an embarrassing loss as they did against Afghanistan a few years ago.