Former Pakistan all-rounder Mahmood to stage T20 camp at Dubai Sports City

The ICC Academy and former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood are coming together to stage a groundbreaking Twenty20-specific cricket camp later this month.
 
Mahmood will conduct the camp from October 24 to November 1 at the state-of-the-art facility at Dubai Sports City with the aim of honing players’ Twenty20 skills and thinking.
 
The camp, believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, will be open to juniors, adults and corporates, with daytime and evening sessions meaning that it will suit any timing.
 
Azhar has played in Twenty20 competitions all over the world for more than a decade, and commenting on the announcement of the cricket camp at the ICC Academy, he said: “The advent of Twenty20 has brought with it new shots, many different variations with the ball and a whole new level of athleticism in the field.
 
“But while there are plenty of coaching courses that teach the basics of the game, there are none that I know about that will coach these new techniques and approaches.
 
“Our aim is to cover off this gap in learning with this new camp, the first of which will take place later this month. It is an exciting idea, I am delighted to have joined forces with the ICC Academy to put the project together and I cannot wait for us to get started.”
 
Details of the camp and how to enroll can be obtained by emailing info@iccacademy.net or calling +971 4 448 1355.
 
Mahmood was part of the Surrey side in England that won the first-ever domestic Twenty20 title, in 2003, and since then he has played in the Pepsi Indian Premier League with Kings XI Punjab, as well as in Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
 
Thanks to his clever and subtle medium-pace variations and his ability to strike the ball powerfully, Azhar has become one of the most sought-after players in the Twenty20 game.
 
He is one of only 13 players in history to have played more than 200 matches of Twenty20 cricket and now he will be sharing the vast amount of knowledge he has accumulated with players young and old at the ICC Academy.
 
ICC Academy Manager Will Kitchen said: “We are delighted to be teaming up with Azhar Mahmood for this innovative new camp and we are really excited about it.
 
“We saw first-hand in Dubai the popularity of Twenty20 cricket earlier this year when the Pepsi Indian Premier League played to sell-out crowds at Dubai Sports City and that was repeated when Pakistan played Australia in front of another full house earlier this month.
 
“With our state-of-the-art facilities, including two full-sized ovals, the latest technology at our disposal and our outstandng coaches who will be working alongside Azhar during the camp, we are all set to provide a great experience to those people who take part.
 
“The ICC Academy prides itself on being a hub for elite cricket and a place where we look to take the game forward. Our use of soils from around the world to replicate pitch conditions from different countries is just one example of that, and by hosting this Twenty20-specific camp we believe we are once again at the forefront of an exciting new innovation.”
 
Azhar, who has played 21 Test matches and 143 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan and featured in three consecutive ICC Cricket World Cups, added that ahead of the start of the camp there would be a further major announcement.
 
“We have confirmed the presence of a special guest coach during the camp – one of the biggest names in the history of the game – and we will be announcing details of that guest in the near future so watch this space,” he said.
 
Azhar also said the launch of the camp was not the signal he was calling time on his playing career.
 
“I have a gap in my schedule between playing commitments and this camp is the perfect way to spend my time before that next action,” he said.
 
“I have learnt so much playing Twenty20 cricket for more than a decade and this is a great opportunity for me to pass on that knowledge to others.
 
“And to be able to do it in the world-class surroundings of the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City is fantastic.”
 
Dubai Sports City General Manager – Sports Business Maqbul Dudhia said: “This announcement is exciting news for both the ICC Academy and another illustration of the way things are really buzzing at Dubai Sports City.
 
“We are in the midst of two months of top-class cricket action with the Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand squads playing and training at the Dubai International Stadium and the ICC Academy, and next month will see the UAE, Afghanistan, Ireland and Scotland squads take part in a camp of their own ahead of next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup.
 
“The swimming academy and fitness suite are about to open to complete the facilities at the Sports Village that also includes the already hugely successful Dubai Sports City Football Academy, and preparations are in full swing for the Dubai Open golf championship, the finale to the 2014 Asian Tour, at The Els Club.
 
“These are exciting times at Dubai Sports City and this cricket camp is another part of that excitement as we go from strength to strength,” he added.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.