Six Worcestershire first team squad members and three academy products are to hone their batting skills against spin during a trip to India later this month.
Skipper Daryl Mitchell, Tom Fell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Alexei Kervezee, Brett D'Oliveira and Shaaiq Choudhry plus Academy trio Nick Hammond, Josh Dell and Freddie Wynn are heading to Chennai for 10 days.
Worcestershire batting coach and second eleven coach Kevin Sharp and academy coach Elliot Wilson will accompany the players on a trip which it is hoped will help aid and benefit their development.
The Worcestershire Supporters Association, the D'Oliveira Foundation and two individuals who wish to remain anonymous are helping to fund the cost of the trip.
County assistant coach and bowling coach Matt Mason said: "It's all about spin, facing and playing spin. It has been an area that has been highlighted in English cricket that we are not terrific at playing.
"Some of the best spinners in the country play First Division cricket and our guys are going to benefit from playing a lot of it from 10 days over there in tough conditions.
"It's the first time we've done it and I think it is a great thing because it can only help their development.
"How has the trip come about? Hats off to Kevin Sharp really. He has brought it to Bumpy's attention (Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes) and really sold it to him.
"Sharpy is very passionate about batting and very passionate about developing cricketers and I think he felt it would help their all-round game.
"If they are going to play at the highest level, they'll going to need to play in all different conditions.
"It just made sense and in a professional enviroment, they'll be given every opportunity."
Mason added: "I believe it is nets, all day and every day. They have spinners coming at your from left, right and centre over there, in hot, humid, dry conditions.
"The lads will get to talk batting, get to talk facing spin. They will just live and breath spin for those 10 days and batting against it.
"They will be on the type of wickets they might find here at the back end of the summer but it will also give them the chance to explore other options than playing spin.
"They'll be able to spend some quality time with Ello and Sharpy and also with each other as a batting group. It will be a real good experience."
Worcestershire chief executive David Leatherdale said: "When this project was discussed, putting something together a couple of months ago, it comes at a reasonable cost to do so, we are grateful to the Supporters Association, the D'Oliveira Foundation and a couple of individual donations that basically cover the cost of the trip.
"It allows these lads to go away and hone their skills and practice their skills in different enviroments both as individual cricketers and people themselves."
*Elliot Wilson will be highlighting the benefits of the trip to the academy trio on the Worcestershire website later in the week.
