ICC Winter Training Camp helps foster “professionalism” concept at Associate level

The ICC's Winter Training Camp (WTC) has wrapped up this week in Pretoria, South Africa, the players from Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, The Netherlands and Scotland are returning home and now it is time for the post-mortem to begin.

Was the concept of bringing together 23 players from the six Associate countries taking part in the ICC Cricket World Cup (ICC CWC) 2007 a success? Head Coach Andy Moles certainly believes it was.

"My main priority was to improve players and I think we have done that," he said, reflecting on the role he and his fellow coaches played in the 11-week residential camp.

"Each and every player has improved in every aspect of their game. They have been exposed to different ideas, regular and intensive training and been pushed outside their comfort zones. That has been a key aspect," he added.

For Richard Done, the ICC's High Performance Manager, who turned the idea of the camp from concept to reality in five weeks, the message he hopes the players will be taking back home is a simple one - high standards.

"The WTC shows that the Associates, when well resourced, are very capable of setting up and conducting high quality programs," he said.

"Now that a number of players have experienced this first hand they will be able to challenge other players around them and seek the type of support services that they have experienced.

"This is a part of building the message of "professionalism" from within the countries represented here about the way things should be done.

"Over time that will change the expectations and goals of the cricketers and cricket teams in those countries," he added.

So what have been the positives?

"The easiest one to think of is the players' fitness," said Done. "The change in both their mindset towards the role of fitness in cricket and their physical condition was very apparent.

"Towards the end of the camp it was not uncommon to see players doing their own sessions to maintain the fitness levels they had attained.

"They have also improved the awareness of their approach, strategies and tactics in match situations, and access to regular physiotherapy, massage, psychology and nutrition services will be things I believe many will seek out when they get home.

"The work of vision expert Dr Sherrlye Calder has been noticed already outside the WTC and at least two Associate countries have enquired about including this as a part of their build-up to the World Cup. Interestingly I believe the Australian team may have done so as well," added Done.

For Moles, working on the frontline with his team of coaches including Mark Lane, Bob Cottam and Canada's John Davison, the WTC was a chance to operate in a way not always possible with Associate players.

"All the coaching I had done before was driven by results on the field whereas now we were able to work on improving players' techniques over a period of days and weeks without having to worry if they would be ready to play the following day," he said.

"And it was nice - and rewarding - to work with players every day, something that is not always possible at this level, as that allowed us to introduce new ideas and training regimes in a concerted way.

"The players have definitely had their eyes opened to the way Test-playing sides prepare and if they can take that back with them then maybe they can help themselves and their countries improve," Moles added.

So much for the positives, but in any exercise of this scale, especially when it is being undertaken for the first time, there are bound to be teething issues and neither Done nor Moles shied away from them.

"Without a doubt the most frustrating and difficult aspect was the inability to arrange a competitive program of matches," said Done.

"Two four-day matches we planned did not happen as the South African domestic program was entering its one-day phase, but on the plus side we were still able to get plenty of competitive one-day matches that challenged the players.

"We were unable to get all the National Coaches involved because of the short notice in arranging the camp but we did have current players Clay Smith from Bermuda and John Davison of Canada present.

"Also Adrian Birrell (the Irish National Coach) and Peter Drinnen (the Scottish Technical Director) visited and were more than happy with what they saw," he added.

Moles commented: "You will always look back at something of this scale and think you could tinker here and there.

"It would have been nice to have some stronger fixtures, a couple of players had to return home and there were niggling injuries which affected players' abilities to perform.

"But there is no denying all the players worked hard and on that basis they deserved a bit more time off so next time perhaps it would be a good idea to factor in some down time, something like a trip to a game park to see some wildlife."

The chief purpose of the WTC may have been to ratchet up the Associates' preparations for the ICC CWC in 2007 but it also provided a glimpse into the future.

Later that same year the ICC's Global Cricket Academy (GCA) is due to open its doors in Dubai and Done admitted events in Pretoria have been a useful exercise ahead of that date.

"The WTC has not necessarily been a blueprint for the GCA but it has given us the opportunity to uncover and deal with any issues we may face when it opens," he said.

"What we can say is that this experience will play an important role in helping to ensure the GCA offers the right programs to the wide range of individuals and teams that will pass through its doors in the years to come."

Ahead of that date and, of course, the Cricket World Cup, will the WTC exercise be repeated?

"Even with the combined challenges of different cultures, playing standards and player expectations we now know the concept is a good one," said Done.

"We are already planning another one for a similar time in 2006 when most of the Associate countries going to the World Cup will be entering their final preparation.

"This will be dependent on fitting it into a period that suits the majority of Associate countries involved but planning is already underway as a part of the final Associate scheduling for 2006 and 2007."

Moles, who is also coach of Scotland, said he expected the next WTC to have a slightly different emphasis.

"I think any future camp will focus more around players certain to be in the World Cup squads," he said.

"Also the longer lead-in time to a future camp would allow us to set certain fitness guidelines on the players before they arrived and that, in turn, would allow us to dedicate more time to skills work earlier in the program."

And what is the lasting memory of the camp for Moles?

"I think it would be the camaraderie and team spirit that was generated among the players over that 11-week period," he said.

"They were a group of different guys from different countries who did not really know each other but at the closing dinner there was real warmth between everyone.

"They have all developed not only as cricketers but also as people," he added.

Clearly, however, the one aspect that did not improve among the players was their memories - and that left Moles and his fellow coaches as relieved men.

"When we introduced them to the concept of the ice baths they said we would have to join in at the end of the camp. Thankfully they forgot about that - and I am not complaining," he said.

As for the last word, that belongs to Richard Done.

"The support of the Associate countries themselves in taking on a project of this magnitude, speaks volumes for the genuine willingness to improve the quality of world cricket as well as expanding the game globally.

"This is, and should remain, a clear focus for the ICC as we move forward," he added.