Kevin Pietersen isn’t the only Hampshire player to be sporting an England shirt on the subcontinent this December – teammates Chris Tremlett and Michael Carberry are with the England Performance Programme squad in Mohali and Chennai.

The concept behind taking the EPP to India is twofold; firstly to give English players the opportunity to experience different conditions, and to provide acclimatised and match fit back up cricketers for the England squad in Sri Lanka. The EPP is currently working predominantly from the MRF Academy in Chennai, which will provide net session bowlers and high standard facilities for the remaining two weeks of the camp. There are also two practice matches, and at the time of writing the EPP has won the first one.
       
Key individual goals have been established for the players and worked on throughout the initial training sessions, involving net sessions against spin and seam bowlers as well as specific fielding drills and bowling practise. For the competition phase of the programme team goals have been established by the players and will be monitored by experienced coaching staff including Kevin Shine, Ashley Giles and Martyn Moxon.

Through the good offices of Immi, the ECB Media Relations Officer travelling with the squad, I was able to relay some questions to Chris and Carbs – and to the specialist coaches working with them.

First up, I wanted to know what the guys feel they are gaining by being on the Programme:

Chris: “It’s a really good opportunity to work with the facilities over here. In Mohali we had six really good nets and we were given numerous net bowlers, which was really good. It meant that if we wanted to have a bat against spin or seam, there was always the opportunity to do that. Back at home, if you’re a tail-end batsman, you only get average net-bowlers as all the good bowlers are used against the top-order batters, so it was really good in that respect.

“There are also really good gym facilities over here and pool facilities too. There’s everything you need. If you’re at home at this time of year you’re obviously going to be stuck indoors, so it’s a good chance to play outdoors which is one of the main advantages.”

Carbs: “Touring on the other side of the world, especially in India, you learn how to play different wickets – here they’re quite slow and good for spin. There are certain different techniques that you have to master out here that you wouldn’t anywhere else in the world. One of the first things I found was that you have to be more of an artist when you bat and you have to be more discreet when you play. It’s not made for bludgeoning and therefore you have to become more adept with your hands and clever with how you manoeuvre the ball.

“It’s also been a great programme for learning skills for the sub-continent and the facilities on the whole have been as good as anywhere.”

Next, I was interested to know how working with different coaches helps.

Chris: “I’ve worked with Shiney before, so I know how he operates. I’m just trying to interrelate what I’ve done with Ottis Gibson, Allan Donald and Shiney over the last year or so and just keep working on things I’ve been doing. I’m not really looking to do anything different, just keeping my game up to scratch.”

Carbs: “I’ve worked with Martyn before and he hasn’t changed anything that much with me. This tour has mainly been about what we wanted to work on as players. I got called into the EPP quite late, so for me the start of this tour was getting back into cricket and getting my head around cricket again. I want to work more on my balance at the crease and getting volume of practice.

“I’ve been to India before so I’ve got a good idea of the skills I need out here, so coming back to those skills and putting them into practice as much as possible is what I’m looking at doing. Things like sweeping the spin and playing spin, I’m looking at the different things you need for that.

“Playing quicks here is much the same as anywhere else. It does do a bit in the morning and it can be quite tough like it would be down at The Rose Bowl, but here you need to adjust to the lack of pace. I find that quite tough because I like pace on the ball.”

Finally, I wondered what Chris and Carbs would be doing this winter if they weren’t with the EPP squad.

Chris: “I was obviously disappointed not to be included in the Test Match squad, but if I wasn’t here then I’d probably be training hard at home and working on parts of my game in England. I’d also be looking into what else I’m good at to see what I could potentially do outside of cricket.

“Since I was 19 I’ve been 100% committed to cricket, so now I’d like to look at other aspects in my life and see what I might be good at. I’ve been speaking to Kate Green at the PCA who helps players with lifestyle and career guidance to explore what else I might be good at and could get into.

“But I’m obviously here now, so that hasn’t happened this winter! I would maybe look to do a course or work experience, but I’m not really sure on what. I haven’t got any concrete ideas as to what I’d like to get into, so need to think on that a little more.”

Carbs: “I’d be doing lots of things! I would possibly be doing a bit of DJing. I do a little bit now and then and I did a gig for The Rose Bowl in between a live band that they had there. I play RnB mainly as well as a bit of commercial music and some funky house, but I’m getting more diverse all the time. I DJ at weddings, birthdays and parties, so I do all sorts!

“I’d also be working with the kids that I have been coaching for the past four or five years. I work with Alex Tudor and Owais Shah and we coach 11-19 year olds, fine-tuning them and their games to become cricketers. They’ve all got natural talent, so we’re helping them with their cricket and all the other elements that make up a cricketer. It’s exciting watching them progress from when they started with us and seeing their development.”

The last word should go to the coaches, and I think Hampshire fans can be very proud of our players.

Kevin Shine on Chris Tremlett:
“Chris is a Test-match quality bowler. He’s got a programme that has been in place with the Test side and we are now carrying that on working with the EPP. We’re identifying some areas that will improve him as a Test cricketer and he’s worked incredibly hard and conscientiously on it, as has always been the case with Chris. He adds to what is now becoming a powerful group of fast bowlers.”

Martyn Moxon on Michael Carberry:
“Carbs has impressed us all with his work ethic. He’s got certain areas that he’s working on and has been focused and he’s worked extremely hard throughout the net practice sessions and practice matches we’ve had so far and made a positive impression on all the coaches.

“It’s just a shame he can’t play in the first match due to his sickness, but we’re hoping he’ll be back for the four-day game next week.”

England Performance Programme in Chennai - ECB update Monday 10th December

The England Performance Programme (EPP) squad drew their rain-affected first match in Chennai against an MRF Academy XI. Rain caused an abandonment of play on day two, and as a result, the remaining day was used largely as extra batting practise for players. Having made 358-4 in their first innings with both James Hildreth (136) and Jonathan Trott (114) making centuries, rain put paid to any play on day two.

On the third and final day, the EPP put the home side into bat and bowled them all out for 121. Heading into the final session, the EPP declared on 88-2 leaving themselves 23 overs to bowl out the MRF side, resulting in a draw.

The England U19 pace bowler, Steve Finn, was selected for the game and took two wickets. Andy Pick, the U19 coach, who has arrived to offer further advice and encouragement to the U19 members of the party, has been watching with interest as he prepares for the U19 world cup in Malaysia early in the New Year.

Chairman of Selectors, David Graveney arrived in Chennai from Sri Lanka to look at the work of the EPP in India and check on the form of the players. He also contributed to a team session on the selection process for England teams.

“The players have worked extremely hard for the past two weeks in India.” He said “There are some very talented individuals here, and it’s great to see their dedication and determination.”

On Thursday (6th), the EPP squad was joined by newly-appointed ECB Performance Director David Parsons, who will also oversee the spin bowlers following the departure of Ashley Giles. Parsons was very impressed with the evident development of the squad and the commitment they have demonstrated during the camp.

“I’m really impressed with the work ethic of all the players. They seem very focussed on improving their games and are looking forward to finishing off with a positive performance.”

Training sessions and other plans have had to be fairly flexible as a result of the weather in south-east India, with days off being re-arranged to make best use of dry spells between the unseasonal rains. Extra practises have been scheduled in and extra gym sessions added on rainy days.

 EPP captain, Tim Ambrose said: “It’s been fairly frustrating – the last thing you expect is to come to India and be rained off! But all the lads have been flexible and gone really hard in the gym when we haven’t been able to get outside.”

Simon Timson, the ECB Science and Medicine Manager has arrived on his way to Sri Lanka to contribute to the work of the science and medicine support team in India and to look at some experimental work being developed.

 The final match, a four-day game against a mixture of first-class Sri Lankan and Indian opposition begins on Tuesday December 11 at the MRF Academy ground.

Onlookers watch Chris Tremlett's bowling attack

 

Michael Carberry receives advice during a net practice session

 

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