North v South: England's Paul Farbrace & Otis Gibson to coach teams

Paul Farbrace (left) won the ICC World T20 with Sri Lanka in 2014, before joining England as assistant coach

England coaches Paul Farbrace and Otis Gibson will take charge of the teams in the first North v South 50-over series in the United Arab Emirates in March.

Assistant coach Farbrace, 49, will oversee the south, while fast bowling coach Gibson, 47, will take the north.

The three-match series will give players a chance to impress selectors before the 2017 Champions Trophy.

"We will be taking this series very seriously and preparing as we would for an ODI," said Farbrace.

"It's not just a chance for these players to win matches, but also develop for their club and country.

"We have an important few years coming up in the white ball game and it is crucial the best players have the opportunity to be seen."

Eight players have been chosen already though the PCA MVP rankings system, with the remaining squad members to be picked by selectors.

The PCA MVP Rankings system identifies the match-winners and key influencers of matches by using a formula that measures each player's total contribution.

It takes into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy, strike rates as well as runs scored and wickets taken.

England internationals Tim Bresnan, Harry Gurney and Liam Dawson will be joined by Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Matt Coles, Graeme White and Tim Groenewald.

A first-class North v South fixture was part of the English calendar between 1836 and 1961.

Full PCA MVP rankings for One-Day Cup (external site)