Will Rhodes checks in with ecb.co.uk with his first blog as captain of the England Under-19s' World Cup squad.
For me, the tour started with a 45-minute flight from Leeds/Bradford Airport with Josh Shaw. Usually you don't get much out of Shawy, just the odd word or grunt, but on Friday it was different.
He's certainly one to perform on the big occasion so hopefully this World Cup will be 'high end' for him.
A 5am wake-up on a Saturday is usually the last thing a group of teenagers want. But this particular morning was different.
A month-long trip to Dubai for a massive tournament was now upon us and the mood in the camp was upbeat.
However, for every good thing that happens, there is usually some sort of setback! And this set back was a pretty big one!!
Losing my iPad was an absolute stinker. I'm just putting it down to pure excitement for the upcoming tour.
On the other hand I don't think that would've been a valid reason to tell my parents I hadn't got it back the following day. Don't worry Mum!!!!
Our hotel is probably the best we have all stayed in before. The rooms are absolutely massive and it’s set out in an apartment style.
In spite of that, it isn't everyone’s cup of tea! With us being on the 43rd floor, the fear of heights does come into question.
Lift journeys are particularly interesting with one side being see-through glass overlooking the city!
The first training day of a tour is always enjoyable but tiring. A recovery session and extended warm-up were certainly needed to get rid of any stiffness built up from the day before.
As the week has progressed, the intensity has gotten greater and all of the boys are training with great enjoyment. Taking that into our competitive games should be a priority.
Saturday is our first rest day of the tour. The standard and intensity of the practice so far has been high-class so we believe it has been well deserved.
Our choice of activity on our day off is the Aquaventure Waterpark, which is part of the Atlantis hotel on the Palm. As long as there are no vertical drops, I think I should enjoy it!!
This blog was written on Friday by Will Rhodes.