Boot camp and military-style training are passé. The English women's cricket team is preparing for its tour of India early next year by having chilli-eating competitions!
Knowing well that they would have to make do with spicy Indian food when they tour the country in February for a quadrangular World Series tournament, coach Richard Bates encouraged his girls to go on a chilli-eating spree and was surprised by their enthusiastic response to the novel training method.
"We will not play a Test for some time now, with our focus shifting to the quadrangular World Series in February. This will involve another trip to India, so we have encouraged the new girls in the team to eat the Indian food provided at games this summer," England all-rounder Rosalie Birch revealed in a column posted on BBC's website.
"Our lovely coach Richard Bates suggested a chilli-eating competition to get some practice in. I thought I would be fine, but my face turned a bright shade of red, my heart raced, and I began sweating -- a lot! The new girls seemed to cope well but I'm convinced there was some cheating going on," she said.
Birch also writes how her team was amused by the food habits of the Indian side in the just-concluded series.
"We found it hilarious how the Indians added their own curry paste and pickles because they found the food too mild. But our players will not be laughing when their mouths are burning up in India."
