LONDON, (Reuters) – England’s Ashes squad ended a five-day ‘bonding trip’ to southern Germany yesterday with a visit to a former Nazi concentration camp, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said.
The players and management travelled to the memorial site at the Dachau camp where more than 40,000 people died from 1933 to 1945.
“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,” captain Andrew Strauss said in a statement.
“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 ECB said the ‘development camp’, near Nuremburg, presented players with a range of mental and physical challenges.
“The team also learned more about leadership, how to make difficult decisions under pressure and the factors that make teams successful,” the statement added.
England travel to Australia on Oct. 29, with the first test of the five match Ashes series starting in Brisbane on Nov. 25.
