ICC Winter Training Camp coach hopes for World Cup surprises
ICC Winter Training Camp (WTC) head coach Tim Boon is hopeful that one of the Associate countries playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 will spring a surprise and beat a Test nation in the group stages of the competition
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Speaking from Pretoria, where the ICC WTC has been going on for the past seven weeks, Boon says the players who have attended are now much better equipped to deal with the pressures of playing one-day cricket against the best sides in the world after spending time at the high performance centre in the South African capital.
"This is a great starting point for these players as they build towards the World Cup," said Leicestershire and former England under-19s coach Boon.
"I am confident they now have the tools to go away from here with the information they require to be more competitive at that level.
"Hopefully we will see one or two surprises in the West Indies and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we do," he said.
And it's not just the coach who thinks that. In all there are 24 players from the six Associates who will join the ten Test nations in the Caribbean. Kevin Sandher is one of them. A left-arm slow bowler from Canada he is someone who has benefited hugely from the last seven weeks of intensive training and analysis.
"For me, this camp has been about a realisation of what it takes to be a top-class cricketer," said Sandher.
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"You have to believe you can win. In the Canadian team we have some very good players. If we all fire on the day and put the opposition under pressure, then you never know.
"Pressure does funny things to people, even players from England and New Zealand. There is nowhere to hide in one-day cricket at the top level," said Sandher.
"One-day cricket is very intense. When (former Australian Test player) Rod Marsh was here earlier in the camp he told us that a one-day innings was basically 300 plays - you have to focus on each ball the same if you are a batsman, bowler or fielder."
On Wednesday the ICC WTC team continued its winning ways with a hard-fought victory over a Northerns XI at LC de Villiers Oval in Pretoria.
In a good all-round bowling performance by the ICC WTC, it restricted Northerns to 197 all out in 50 overs. Scotsman Ross Lyons, who took 3-36 off 10 overs, Ireland's John Mooney (2-23) and Abdool Samad (2-26) were the pick of the attack.
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"I have been impressed with how the team has adapted in particular circumstances," said Boon. "In yesterday's game, they got themselves into a bit of trouble but managed to do the right things and took all the right options to adapt and win the game."
The ICC WTC's final match, out of eight, is on Thursday against the same team in the same venue and the Associate players will be very keen to finish the camp on a high.
The ICC Winter Training Camp involves 24 players, four from each of the top six Associate Members, in seven weeks of intensive mental and physical coaching on all aspects of the one-day game.
Top coaches including former Test players Rod Marsh, Kepler Wessels and Gary Kirsten have been available to impart their knowledge and expertise to the players, overseen by head coach Tim Boon.
This is the second year the ICC has run the camp which takes place in the hpc (high performance centre) in Pretoria.
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