Dubai: England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow inspired the budding cricketers at the Dubai Sports City’s International Cricket Council Academy (ICCA).
He interacted with the youngsters as well as coaches at the indoor cricket centre and even conducted coaching sessions for children from different schools and ICCA Warriors participants.
Bairstow was part of the England squad that lifted the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Speaking to Gulf News, Salman Hanif, head of Cricket Business, said: “We were pleased to host Jonny at ICCA after his role in the historic World Cup triumph. The ICCA always provides such unique opportunities to participants of Warriors programme to meet and interact with the cricket greats.”
Bairstow starred in England’s World Cup triumph scoring over 500 runs with two centuries in the World Cup. Addressing the youngsters, Bairstow shared the various challenges he faced in his career after giving tips. Signing autographs for the youngsters, he spoke about his World Cup experience and the recent Ashes series. The ICCA continuously provides opportunities for young people to meet their cricketing heroes through their coaching programs, where they become warriors learning the coaching philosophy, methodologies, coaching resources, and more. He was impressed with the world class facilities at the ICC Academy for local and international players which includes cricket pitches from Asian subcontinent, Australia, and England, Indoor Cricket Centre, Power Base Gym, as well as Practice facilities with Turf, Hybrid and Artificial pitches.
Addressing the media on return to England, Bairstow who will not be part of the England Test squad to New Zealand, said: “ I’m not the kind of person to rest on their laurels. It will be case of dusting myself down, having a couple of weeks off, reflecting on the summer and then getting back to it.’
Bairstow, who turned 30 on September 26, has scored 4,020 runs from 69 Tests and 2,861 runs from 74 One Day International matches.
