January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Pitcher is a student of the game
The Somerset batsman was highlighted by coach Andy Moles as his most diligent student, a copious note-taker and a man who was serious about getting ahead in the game.
Pitcher may be only 25 and a Cup Match colt, but he has the head of an experienced pro.
And he is determined to learn all he can from the top class coaches, sports psychologists and fitness gurus in Pretoria - not just for himself but to pass on to his team-mates.
Pitcher, along with the 22 other young cricketers at the academy is taking a coaching badge.
And he hopes his experiences can help institute a new attitude to training and a more professional approach at domestic level.
“That's all part of it. I'm sure each of us will take what we have learned back to our clubs and help raise the level there.”
Physical and mental fitness have been the main themes of the camp so far and Pitcher is already seeing improvements for the Bermudians, who he admits lagged a bit behind the other countries on the fitness front.
“I'm doing much better. Fitness has been, probably, the main improvement for everybody.
“They had a big stress on that. You can feel the benefit when you are fielding out in the heat. Everybody's lost some weight and packed on some muscle.”
But it's the mental side of the Camp that has intrigued Pitcher the most.
The chance to analyse his game, think about strategies and playing different situations appealed to his studious side.
“We do a lot of work with sports psychologists on thinking the game through — how to play different conditions, how to handle different situations.
“These guys have a lot of knowledge and I’m trying to learn as much as I can.
“The main improvement in my batting has been learning to think the game through and be smarter in the middle.”
Pitcher's focus on cricket has been so intense he has found little time to see much of South Africa.
“We had a few activity days and we went to Sun City water resort but to be honest the training is so intense that on our days off we just want to rest.”[[In-content Ad]]
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