SOMERSET CCC men’s pre-season trip to Abu Dhabi has been cancelled due to the situation in the Middle East.

The team is instead spending time at Desert Springs in Spain until March 18, where they will play a two-day red ball fixture against Yorkshire CCC beginning on the 16th.

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: “As you can see from watching the news at the moment, there are things outside our control that have had an impact on our original plan for pre season, and the bottom line is that the safety and wellbeing of the players and staff has to be our main consideration.

“Conversations have been going on behind the scenes and first and foremost it was always about doing the right thing. We’re still trying to prepare for a season and the first game is in less than a month’s time, but we need to do what’s right.

“In the last week a huge amount of work has gone on and we’ve managed to get the opportunity to go to Desert Springs in Spain, a facility we know well. We’ve been there a few times over the years, and all the feedback is that it’s in a really good place in terms of the facilities.

“The trip’s a little bit shorter than originally planned and we’ve lost some game time, which is unfortunate. We’ll have a two-day game at the back end of the trip against Yorkshire, which will be a red ball game, so we will at least get some competitive cricket, and the rest of the trip is about maximising any time that we do have on the grass while we’re there.

The head coach added: “Of course, the thoughts of everyone at Somerset County Cricket Club are with those who have been affected by the current situation in the Middle East.”