First Team Coach Alex Gidman has stressed the importance of Worcestershire enjoying quality outdoor pre-season practice time.
Gidman confirmed the County are looking to return to Abu Dhabi in March for the seventh successive year for a 10-day period.
Details have still to be finalised but Gidman is planning for the training camp to be scheduled for later than in previous years to reduce the gap between returning from the UAE to the start of the domestic campaign.
He said: “We will be looking to go to Abu Dhabi again. Nothing has been finalised but it just seems over here it is getting wetter and wetter.
“For obvious reasons with us – but with everyone now – it is too much of a gamble to stay.
“You’ve got to go and get some cricket overseas.
“We know with Abu Dhabi that for 99 per cent of the time you are going to get good weather or at least dry weather.
“It is important. We went last year and they had improved the facilities again.
“We will look to do that, get out there for 10 days and get some really good preparation in for that first game.
“It won’t be early March this time. We are looking to go a little bit later.
“I want to try and have that gap between getting back and the first game down to about two and a half weeks.”
Worcestershire Cricket Steering Group chairman, Paul Pridgeon said: “I went out to Abu Dhabi this March and you could see how much the lads relished playing and practicing outdoors after a winter of indoor work.
“Many, many counties now go down this route in pre-season to ensure the bowlers get sufficient overs in their legs and the batsman spend enough time in the middle before the domestic season starts.”
