Ryan Davies in England Development Programme UAE training camp

Kent wicketkeeper Ryan Davies will travel to Dubai this week as part of a17-man England Development Programme (EDP) squad for an intensive ten-day training camp at the ICC Academy.

The 18-year-old is in the EDP touring party – which features players from across the Under-17 and Under-19 age groups – represents the final contingent of England cricketers to travel overseas to play and train before Christmas.

They follow England’s seven-match One Day International series against Sri Lanka, the England Performance Programme (EPP) batting and spin camp in Colombo and fast bowling camp in Potchefstroom, and the county quartet of Scott Borthwick (Durham), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Will Tavare (Gloucestershire) and Tom Westley (Essex), who are playing for teams in Sri Lanka Cricket’s major domestic competitions this winter.

The UAE training and development camp will be the first tour overseen by ECB’s new Head of the England Development Programme, Andy Hurry.

Speaking about the tour, Hurry said: “The EDP training camp to the UAE serves two important purposes. First, it provides an early opportunity to expose this group of young players to challenging sub-continental conditions in a world-class training environment at the ICC Academy.

"Secondly, it allows us to work with the country’s highest potential young players in an England cricket environment for a concentrated period of time.

"Together, the overall aim of the ten days is to facilitate a progression in skill execution, alongside developing an appreciation of what it takes to train and play at the highest level.”

Ahead of the start of the 2015 English cricket season, the EDP will embark on two playing tours. An EDP U17 side will take on Pakistan U17s in the UAE in February and an England U19 side will tour against Australia U19s in March-April.

EDP winter touring and training schedule 2014-2015:

11 – 21 December 2014: Overseas training camp in Dubai

25 March – 25 April 2015: England U19 tour v Australia U19

11 – 28 February 2015: EDP U17 tour v Pakistan U17

England Development Programme 2014-2015 Squad:

Mason Crane (Hampshire)

Sam Curran (Surrey)

Ryan Davies (Kent)

Will Davis (Derbyshire)

Aneurin Donald (Glamorgan and Wales)

Ben Green (Somerset and Devon)

Haseeb Hameed (Lancashire)

Max Holden (Middlesex)

Mosun Hussain (Yorkshire)

Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)

Tom Moores (Nottinghamshire)

Matt Parkinson (Lancashire and Staffordshire)

Brad Taylor (Hampshire)

Callum Taylor (Essex and Norfolk)

Aaron Thomason (Warwickshire)

Jared Warner (Yorkshire)

Joe Weatherley (Hampshire)