Preparations to identify the next batch of cricketers to represent the UAE at upcoming Under-16 and U-19 tournaments have resumed with Emirates Cricket Board’s training camps for shortlisted players.

More than 40 players, who beat more than 100 hopefuls after impressing in various tournaments this season including the Inter-Emirates tournament, were put through their paces at the ICC Academy yesterday for the second successive weekend as they bid of claiming a berth in the final squads for the UAE.

The national team are set to play in the U-16 ACC West Asia Championship in Qatar and the Under-19 Asia Cup qualifiers in Kuwait in October. The group have more than six weeks to press their case of making the final squads with sessions overseen by UAE assistant Dom Telo.

Afghanistan, Oman and Kuwait are just some of the teams the UAE will face over the coming months and to ensure they’re highly competitive when they take to the field, the boys will undergo an intense camp that will including skill and fitness sessions.

Telo says he’s been impressed with the crop of the players so far.

“The first week was all about the theory base, and the players organised their own individual programmes as well as what we want to achieve and that was really good.

“The majority of the players were at this stage last year while there are a couple of new faces and it was a chance to see where they’re at.

“There are some really good talented players and a lot of them have improved in the last year.”