Durham’s Academy Director, John Windows, is hoping the players will respond positively to a different cricketing environment in Bangalore, India.
Six players will head out for the fourth successive year for the opportunity to experience sub-continent conditions, with a particular focus on batting skills.
Alex Lees, Jack Burnham, Liam Trevaskis, Ben Whitehead are joined by Academy prospects Luke Doneathy & Rory Hanley on the 12-day tour.
Departing tomorrow (14 February), the lads will undertake a series of training sessions at the prestigious M Chinnaswamy Stadium, home to IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore, while also playing two matches against strong local opposition.
While some of the lads will be experiencing their second tour, Windows is excited to see how they all respond in a different environment.
“It’s a change in environment, a completely different approach to cricket so they’ll have to adapt to the conditions, practice alongside & against some excellent bowlers,” he said.
“India is cricket-mad but Bangalore is absolutely cricket-mad & we’re right in the centre of the city, which is a super experience for the lads. We’re extremely well looked after by the Karnataka State Cricket Association, they have a real passion for cricket & are really pleased to have us, so it’s a great relationship to have.
“We’re also really grateful to Ebac for their ongoing support as Academy sponsors, which helps the lads go out & enjoy these kinds of experiences.”
The lads have been working intensively in the indoor school at Emirates Riverside in preparation for the new season, with the Banglore trip aiming to build upon the hard yards already put in this winter.
“They train really hard indoors but you’re constrained by everything that comes with indoor training & you know the people you’re training against. In Bangalore it’ll be a different kettle of fish completely & some different high-quality bowlers to practice against,” he said.
“In the matches, we play some good quality opposition so it’s a great opportunity for the lads to have some level of performance to measure themselves against.”