It's not every day top-class cricketers return to a sporting institution on a regular basis but that is certainly the case at the International Cricket Council Academy. Will Kitchen only has to look out of a window or walk a few metres to see promising youngsters or some of the big names in cricket train at the state-of-the-art facilities in Dubai Sports City.
As the manager of the academy, Kitchen is faced with the task of ensuring everything runs smoothly for those who train at the venue. With a busy season ahead he spoke to Sport360 about the preparations his staff will have in place for the training sessions of Pakistan and England next month, what he enjoys most about his job and a prized autograph from a retired superstar.
With world-class facilities, so many players train regularly at the ICC Academy. Have you ever had the chance to meet some of them in person?
I’ve met Sachin Tendulkar and to meet him personally was a real privilege. He was here with the Mumbai Indians when the Indian Premier League was played in the UAE last year and we spoke for a long time on the pitch – I think for around 25 minutes – about how to play spin in Asian conditions and other things about cricket.
I then asked him if it was okay to get an autograph of his, and he happily agreed. He signed a Mumbai Indians shirt which was very kind of him and I have that on the wall in my office as well as a picture of him signing the shirt for me.
He’s a very down to earth person and he loves cricket. On the pitch with Mumbai Ind-ians; he was constantly hitting balls, bowling and from what I saw he simply loves the game.
I’ve also been lucky enough to meet Wasim Akram last year. He was part of Azhar Mahmood’s coaching clinic staff when the programme was held at the ICC Academy. So I picked up Wasim from the airport and as he was one of my heroes growing up, it was an absolute honour to spend time with him and talk about cricket. To be honest I’ve met so many cricketers during my time that I’ve lost count.
Who is the best cricketer you have ever met?
It’s a tough one. The one I admire the most is Jacques Kallis. I just think he’s an exceptional player who was bowling at 85mph, averaging over 50, in his games. He caught everything that came to him when he was on slip. He’s still playing T20 now and a genuinely decent bloke. When he came here with South Africa and in the IPL, he was coming towards the end of his career but he was training as hard as ever and I’ve got the utmost respect for him as a bloke and a cricketer.
England and Pakistan will be playing in the UAE next month. What preparations are being made for those two teams when they train at the ICC Academy?
The key thing for us is making sure the surfaces are right. The teams make heaps of req-uirements like making sure their drinks are mixed right, the ice buckets are ready and all of the equipment is out on the pitch.
We also have to make sure all the facilities and equipment are up and running whether they are at the nets or playing practice matches outside. If we get that right, we know they will have quality training sessions.
For us, it’s all about detail. For a three or four-hour training session we have an operation planner that has about 70 or 80 detailed items which will be broken into five-minute blocks as to what will be going on and make sure that we have everything covered.
Our job is to make sure everything is in place, so that when the cricketers come and as soon as they get off the bus, everything is in place. If there is any last-minute change, we have to make sure we are there to provide it.
There are also some specific requirements that players have regarding food so we will be liaising with them for their diet and nutrition options when they eat at the ICC Academy.
What is the thing that makes you proud when you see people train at the facility?
The thing that gives me satisfaction is the really good feedback from the visitors as it means that’s a result because a huge amount of planning, discussions and preparations that we do every day are recognised.
Whether it’s little kids or international teams here, we spend a lot of time in planning to ensure people have a great experience. I am also working every day on how we can improve.
How challenging is it to keep the same high standards throughout the year at the academy?
It’s very challenging indeed. It’s very hard to grow grass in a desert country but we have our head groundsman Tony Hemming, who is one of the most talented and experienced curators in world cricket so we have got a lot to thank him for.
Our development team that runs our grassroots programme can coach up to 1,000 kids per week and that’s a huge operation in its own right and I’m lucky to have a whole group of people who can support this.
What would you say your career highlight has been at ICC Academy so far?
I would not say it’s my highlight moment but the thing that gives me the most satisfaction is that our staff really enjoy working here.
Ultimately, I have responsibility for all of my staff. If you help other people enjoy their work then for me that gives me a real sense of satisfaction. It’s a very good thing to see them engaged and motivated to come to work.
Also, seeing the UAE team, having trained at the ICC Academy, play in the 2015 World Cup was a really proud moment. Ultimately, whether it’s a kid, parent or international team, to say we have done really well then that in itself gives me satisfaction.
Who was your favourite cricketer growing up?
Strangely it was Dominic Cork who I really like. I’m a big fan of cricket and I thought I would like to become like Dominic Cork when I was younger but as I got a little bit older, then I thought maybe not.
What sports do you play and what are your hobbies?
I like to keep myself active so football, running, badminton and golf. I enjoy playing the guitar and I’m a fan of The Stone Roses band.
And I understand you’re a Nottingham Forest fan.
Yes. I love Stuart Pearce. He is a passionate bloke and it broke my heart when they sacked him as the Forest manager in early February.
If we can get Andy Reid back on the park we should stand a chance of pushing for a play-off place but I’ve been a little bit pessimistic over the last few years.
We kept hold of some key players. But I don’t know whether actual promotion to the Premier League is realistic this season.
