Season Tour to Abu Dhabi cancelled

Pre-Season Tour to Abu Dhabi cancelled

Somerset Men’s pre-season trip to Abu Dhabi has been cancelled due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

The team will now head to Desert Springs in Spain on Sunday until March 18th. The time away will include a two-day red ball fixture against Yorkshire CCC beginning on the 16th.

Regarding the alterations, Somerset Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “As you can see from watching the news at the moment, there are things outside our control that have had an impact on our original plan for pre season, and the bottom line is that the safety and wellbeing of the players and staff has to be our main consideration.

“Conversations have been going on behind the scenes all week and first and foremost it was always about doing the right thing. It’s a difficult time and we would never want to compromise anyone’s safety. We’re still trying to prepare for a season and the first game is in less than a month’s time, but we need to do what’s right.

“In the last week a huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes by a lot of people and we’ve managed to get the opportunity to go to Desert Springs in Spain. With the world the way it is and the Middle East being the way it is, it was never an option to go to Abu Dhabi.

“Desert Springs is a facility we know well. We’ve been there a few times over the years, and all the feedback is that it’s in a really good place in terms of the facilities. So, we’re looking forward to the opportunity.

“The trip’s now a little bit shorter than originally planned and we’ve lost some game time, which is unfortunate because competitive cricket is obviously important as you build up to the season. We’ll have a two-day game at the back end of the trip against Yorkshire, which will be a red ball game, so we will at least get some competitive cricket, and the rest of the trip is about maximising any time that we do have on the grass while we’re there.

“Of course, the thoughts of everyone at Somerset County Cricket Club are with those who have been affected by the current situation in the Middle East.”

An update on Somerset Women’s pre-season plans will be announced shortly.

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