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Warwickshire have selected two senior players for the Bears’ first trip to Pakistan.
New fast bowler Ethan Bamber, the winter arrival from Middlesex, and left-arm wrist spinner Jake Lintott have been selected alongside 10 teenagers from the county’s academy and emerging player programme, plus four coaches headed by high performance manager Paul Greetham.
“It’s a religion over there,” Lintott told BBC Sport. “Not just Pakistan but India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh too, where I have played. They love their sport, and their cricket in particular.”
The trip to Lahore – which will also stage the England v Australia ICC Champions Trophy game while they are there – includes training camps at Pakistan great Imran Khan’s old school Aitchison College and the Aleem Dar Academy – named after the Pakistan umpire.
They are also scheduled to play four competitive games against sides likely to include Pakistan Under-19s players, as well some experienced first-class cricketers currently playing in the country.
“We’re very privileged to be able to do it,” Bamber, 26, told BBC Sport. “And we’re very unlucky they had a place for a couple of older ones.
“It will be nice to build some relations with the younger ones, bowl outside and get some good work done ahead of the pre-season trip to Abu Dhabi.”
“I know the facilities we’re going to be using out there are amazing,” added 31-year-old former schoolteacher Lintott. “It will help get us in shape for Abu Dhabi.
“I haven’t played much cricket this winter so that will be good – and it is also a great opportunity to pass on what I can to our younger players.
“It’s one of the big things Robbo [Mark Robinson] wants in the dressing room. And, no matter what the format, I feel I can help people, with my coaching background.”
The trip to Lahore runs from 12-24 February.
Warwickshire’s County Championship campaign begins on Friday, 4 April at Edgbaston against Sussex.
