Strauss hails team spirit at Camp England
Captain says morale-boosting trip to Germany was a tough but rewarding experience
London: England's Ashes squad returned from a team-building camp in Germany Wednesday, with the captain, Andrew Strauss, calling the five-day trip "tough but rewarding".
The location of the camp in southern Germany had been a tightly controlled secret in an attempt to avoid long lenses scuppering the morale-boosting plans of Hugh Morris, England's managing director, and Andy Flower, the coach.
Dachau visit
The 16-man squad undertook a series of team-building exercises before visiting the memorial site at Dachau, the first of Nazi Germany's concentration camps, where more than 40,000 people died.
"Following our trip to Flanders last year, this was an opportunity for the players to spend time away from the cricketing environment, learn more about the wider world and develop ourselves both individually and collectively," Strauss said. "It was a tough but rewarding five days and I know every player has gained greater insight into themselves, their own team environment and environments outside cricket."
The wisdom of the trip had been questioned by some, who believed the squad would have been better served by being allowed to rest with their families following a gruelling series against Pakistan.
