Fourteen boys from Abu Dhabi’s MCC Zayed Academy will play their first tour match against DS Senanayake College in Sri Lanka today, and head coach Qazi Ayub hopes it will be a learning experience for the under-16 squad.
Mohammed Riyan (captain), Sachin Jha, Yodhin Punja, Hanzalah Khan, Justin D’Souza, Aakarsh Krishnakumar, Jonathan Figy, Abhishek Prakash, Huzaifah Khan, Pavan Vijaykumar, Umar Zia, Dhanrudh Venkataraman, Nitin Vimal Kumar and Inshaal Baig will take part in the 10-day tour, playing seven 40-over matches against leading schools and academies as they aim to develop their abilities in Asian conditions.
Ayub said: “We wanted to choose somewhere different. We usually go to the UK on a summer tour but Sri Lanka was recommended to me.
“The boys will be tested in a different environment as opposed to the conditions we face in the UAE. In order for them to become better players they have to get to know how other players in different countries play.
“This will be a steep test. They will get to learn about different aspects of the game like their fitness and mentality abilities.”
The squad will also take on Colombo Cricket Club Academy, Kingswood College, Kandy, Sanath Jayasuriya Cricket Academy, Colombo, Lyceum International School, Wattala, Torrington Cricket Academy, Ratmalana, and Mercantile Cricket Association Academy, Colombo.
When asked of what he hopes the boys, who beat 30 other hopefuls from the academy, can achieve, Qazi, who is also United Bank Limited (UBL) captain added: “We want them to improve on their fitness and drills. It’s a big part of the game today and playing so many matches in a hot climate country won’t be easy.
“We are not expecting them to win every match. Winning and losing matches are part of the game but the most important thing we hope the boys can learn is on how other players in other countries compete so that they can implement that themselves.”