Academy Scots head for Pune cricket experience
A squad of 15 young Scots cricketers depart from Edinburgh on Thursday (March 25), heading for a 12-day visit to Pune, India, where they'll receive intensive training, particularly in the mystic arts of spin bowling, and finishing with three challenging matches.
The party is led by former Scotland captain Craig Wright, who is now Cricket Scotland's Performance Development Manager. It is exactly 15 years since Wright himself was taken on a three-week trip to India, as captain of the pioneering West District U19 development tour.
"That trip was a very challenging three weeks," said Wright. "But it was a massively important experience for us, dealing with conditions that were so alien to what we were used to, and playing against some extremely talented cricketers. It was a huge development opportunity for me in my career."
Wright will supervise a series of net sessions at Pune Sports Club (pictured), with batting-against-spin exercises and fielding drills, building up to some centre-wicket match scenario practices, and ending with full challenge matches on April 1, 2 and 4 - the climax against the local Maharastra State U19 team.
"With our cricketers now playing all over the world, it's even more important that youngsters these days are exposed to such conditions as early as possible," said Wright. "Another real focus of this tour is to develop our batting against spin, and to give the bowlers experience of bowling in very different conditions to what they're used to back home."
The squad will also be attending a match from the Indian Premier League series, expecting to learn at first hand some of the techniques which the professionals use to maximise their run-scoring and minimise the opposition's efforts.
The Scotland squad that's going to Pune is: Calvin Burnett, Marc Petrie*, Ross McLean (all Arbroath United); Aman Bailwal, Matthew Parker*, Craig Wallace (Forfarshire); Matthew Cross (Aberdeenshire); Ewan Chalmers*, Patrick Sadler (Watsonians); Freddie Coleman, Keith Morton (Penicuik); Ollie Hairs (Grange); Tom McBride (Dumfries); Peter Ross (Kinross) and Willie Rowan (Greenock).
[* denotes full Scotland cap]
Craig Wright and Steve Knox are the squad coaches, who will be supplemented by local Indian coaches of the highest calibre.
"The opportunities that are available for these guys now at senior level is just incredible," added Wright. "Hopefully, the work we're doing will stand them in good stead."
Video: Watch Craig Wright in conversation with Mike Stanger about this trip and his experiences in India in 1995.
Blog: Read Gary Heatly's interview with Patrick Sadler.
