Yorkshire’s men’s and women’s squads will step up their preparations for the new summer when they travel to Abu Dhabi on pre-season tour in March.
Head coaches Anthony McGrath and Rich Pyrah will take their squads on respective tours in conjunction with the Sporta Group, who have also designed packages for supporters to travel to the United Arab Emirates as well.
Yorkshire’s men will fly to Abu Dhabi on Monday March 10 before returning to Headingley on Sunday March 23.
Yorkshire’s women will then head to the Gulf on Monday March 24 before they return to Headingley on Friday April 4.
Both teams will take part in T20 tournaments including involvement with other counties, while Yorkshire’s men will play a two-day red ball fixture against a yet-to-be-confirmed county. Yorkshire’s women will round off their tour with a pair of 50-over fixtures.
Picture by Ian Roman/Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports hub. Jonny Tattersall captained Yorkshire during the 2024 pre-season tour
That the club’s two senior squads are heading to the same place for their pre-season tours further highlights our One Club, One Rose, One Yorkshire ethos.
Gavin Hamilton, Yorkshire’s general manager of cricket, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for both squads to get outside, train and play some cricket against really good opposition.
“Anthony was there with Essex last year, and he swears by these tours. He thinks they’re so beneficial, and Yorkshire’s men were there last year as well.
“Both tours start with a T20 focus before the men move into red ball cricket at the end and the women into 50-over matches.”
McGrath’s squad are due to take part in a three-day T20 Festival between March 14-16 before playing their two-day fixture on March 21 and 22.
Likewise, Pyrah will lead Yorkshire’s women into their three-day T20 Festival between March 28-30 before playing a pair of 50-over friendlies against as yet un-named opposition on April 1 and 2.
“Yes, it’s important to try and win out there,” said Hamilton. “But it’s more important that we get the right formula in terms of selection and style of play.
“But why not start by winning a trophy because we all know that winning’s a habit.”
In terms of Yorkshire’s men, they have slightly extended the length of their tour compared to recent seasons.
“The reason we have scheduled the men’s tour as 14 days is purely from a bowling point of view – to let the bowlers have a couple of days to get used to being out on grass rather than going straight into games,” reasoned Hamilton.
“It will have been said many times before that going from indoor to outdoor is a big change with players’ bodies and want to do as much as we can to minimise injury.”
As for the women, this tour will be vital as Yorkshire’s newly formed squad will be playing against some Tier 1 sides in Abu Dhabi along with potential sides from Australia and India.
Lauren Winfield-Hill of Brisbane Heat celebrates catching out Georgia Adams of the Thunder during the WBBL Challenger match on November 29, 2024, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
“They will be playing some high-level sides, which is exactly what we want,” said Hamilton. “Win, lose or tie, we want to compete and see where we are and where we need to get to.
“To get outside is absolutely priceless for both our squads.
“We’ve got a lot of players overseas at the moment, and we’re in discussions with them about meeting us straight out there.
Will Luxton, Ben Cliff, Harry Duke and Noah Kelly are just some of the Yorkshire Men’s players currently playing overseas
“When we get back, we will have a week or so to acclimatise before the start of the season. So it’s best for them to not come back to Headingley before the tour and stay outdoors as long as they can.”
As former Yorkshire players, Hamilton, McGrath and Pyrah went on numerous pre-season tours and always enjoyed the presence of supporters.
And former all-rounder Hamilton added: “Myself and Mags have been talking about when we used to tour in the nineties and there would be 40 or 50 supporters who would come along for three weeks. It was fantastic.
“Having been to Abu Dhabi and seen it, it’s a great place for supporters to go and watch. I know how interactive the players are, so anybody who wants to come and watch will be more than welcome.
“We’ll certainly do our bit to make them feel welcome.”
