Warwickshire embark on a 13 day pre-season tour in Abu Dhabi that includes three matches.
“There are places in the team up for grab,” Jim Troughton said to Club Journalist Brian Halford earlier this week.
And from the first couple of days in Abu Dhabi, there’s a glorious opportunity to impress.
The schedule – set out by Jim Troughton – is demanding with matches wedged between practice and fitness sessions in 30 degree heat.
The 19-man squad landed around 8am in the UAE and immediately worked with Strength and Conditioning Jack Murfin in the pool once checked in.
An early night was well deserved with three days of white ball practice starting this morning, with the first two double sessions.
50-over matches against Somerset and Worcestershire take place on Friday (15 March) and Saturday (16 March) respectively, before a rest day kick-starts red ball training.
The Bears will then again face the Taunton-based outfit in a three-day match that starts on Tuesday 19 March. They return on Saturday 23 March.
“We have lost four senior players from last season so that has created first-team opportunities and the guys are well aware of that. There are places in the team up for grabs,” said Troughton.
“The games we’ve got are against good county opposition and there’s two 50 over games after a hard week of white ball training.
“We’ll then finish with some red ball training before the Somerset fixture and flying back.
“It’s good to get the best of everything and nail down a three-day game because it guarantees time on the feet, which is something that every country struggled with when they got back to England last year.
“We don’t know what the weather will be like when we get back but as long as we know we’ve got a three-day game under our belts it puts us in good stead.”
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