DIRECTOR of cricket Steve Rhodes says Worcestershire’s players will reap the benefits of continuing to play throughout the winter.

The domestic season may be over but many of the squad will again be involved in grade cricket in Australia for the next five months.

Rhodes has approved 10 players to head Down Under.

The former England wicketkeeper is a big believer in players developing and improving as a result of more matches.

Rhodes cites the example of former New Road opener Phil Jaques.

He said: “Often people say, ‘You’ve got to practice like you play to be any good’, and take your practice as seriously as your playing, but why not play? That is my attitude.

“I saw it in Phil, a lad who had back-to-back seasons in Australia-England-Australia-England. As a batsman, physically you can do that.

“I think one of the reasons he improved so rapidly as a player is because he had back-to-back seasons.

“He had double the knocks of other people and double the chances. If that happens, then you are going to have double the time in the middle and therefore you are going to speed up your development in double time.

“That is my attitude towards playing cricket non-stop.

"Joe Clarke benefitted from his season with South Perth two years ago and George Rhodes came back from North Canberra Gungahlin last winter a better player, so playing non-stop is a good thing.

“The negatives are, of course, sometimes burn-out, particularly with bowlers, and we want to try to sometimes look after them if they have had a really heavy summer over here.

“Most of our bowlers are going abroad this winter but they are strong enough to cope with that and will reap the benefits I have already mentioned.”