Associates set for training camp

Ross Lyons in action during last year's training camp in Pretoria © Touchline

The second annual ICC winter training camp begins in South Africa next week with 24 players from the six top Associate countries coming together for intensive coaching, training and tactical analysis of one-day cricket with some of the leading coaches.

Players from Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands and Scotland will arrive at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria on October 2 for a seven-week camp that will aim to boost their form and skills ahead of the World Cup in West Indies next March.

Last year, the camp concentrated on fitness and technical improvements but, according to the Richard Done, the ICC's high performance manager, the emphasis of this year's camp will be slightly different.

"The success of last year's camp has been really encouraging. Several of the players who attended the WTC in 2005 have gone from strength to strength within their own countries

"This year though, with the World Cup so close, it is especially important to focus on one-day skills," added Done. "So as well as fitness and technical sessions, we will program a lot of match scenarios to recreate specific situations that players will face during one-day games."

William Porterfield, the 22-year-old Ireland batsman, is excited by the opportunity of the camp: "This is a great opportunity for me to improve my all-round game. I can't wait. I'm looking forward to working with the coaches they have lined up and the programme looks really interesting.

"It is also important that we continue the season. I feel I finished the summer quite strongly so I want to maintain that momentum heading towards the World League and World Cup next year. It is also important to spend some time in the hotter climate and learn to adjust to that."

Dewald Nel, the Scotland pace bowler, knows what to expect after attending last year and says it has come and just the right time. "I think it will be very beneficial to work on specific cricket skills and game scenarios with coaches who, as players, performed at the highest level. Part of this, too, is that I want to keep match fit and match aware.

"The tendency at this time of year is to relax too much and although you might keep fit, you lose a certain sharpness that you only get from playing and pushing yourself on a regular basis."

The coaching staff at the camp will be led by the current Leicestershire and former England Under-19 coach Tim Boon and will be co-ordinated by Mark Lane with specialist input from former international players including Gary Kirsten, Kepler Wessels, Eric Simons and Rod Marsh.

In the final two weeks of the camp the players will a chance to put into practice the skills they have picked up with two matches against Gauteng at the Wanderers, four against Northerns and two against Western Province.

However, the camp is more than just about bat on ball as the players will also undergo comprehensive physiological testing, strength and fitness training, biomechanical testing, psychological/life skills sessions, nutrition advice, and video analysis.