Outlaws all-rounder Steven Mullaney is raring to go for the final month of pre-season as Nottinghamshire ramp up preparations for 2016.
Mullaney is one of nine players that used Dubai as a base for further pre-season action at the back end of February, before the whole squad heads to Barbados for their fifth visit to the country.
And the 29-year-old believes the entire squad are working their way in to top form as they continue on the right track heading in to the new season.
“Dubai was predominantly a bowling camp but a few batsmen went and I got to practice both sets of skills,” said Mullaney.
“It will be good to get on grass and bat and bowl outside when we are between the two tours as Picky (Andy Pick) has spoke to Birksy (Steve Birks) to see if we can get outside for those 10-12 days.
“We might get out for a few bowling sessions which will be nice as hopefully we don’t have to go back indoors before we head to Barbados on March 10.
“This will be the fifth time we have been there and we are always very well looked after.
“We play some competitive cricket against club counties and a few local sides and we get a good balance between T20s and two day cricket, where you bat and bowl for one day each.”
With international and performance programme call ups regularly affecting the squad over the winter months, training has been limited to between eight and ten for each session.
However, Mullaney believes the entire squad is ready to go in 2016, wherever they have been, and says the absence of some players has allowed others to impress.
“Bally has been away with the Lions and done well and Woody is just back from being part of other England programmes so those two will slot straight back in,” he said.
“Everyone who has been back here is looking great and Ben Kitt has been in great nick and bowling really quick.
“For 2016, from the point of view of the team, we want to be challenging in all competitions and as Mick always says we want to still be in all three come the end of August.
“The first aim is to start the season how we finished the last one as the last couple of months in 2015 we were fantastic.”
The 2015 season saw dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.
Next season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.