WORCESTERSHIRE academy ace Jack Haynes has been included in the first-team squad for the pre-season camp in Abu Dhabi.

The 17-year-old batsman will join up with the County’s professionals for the 11-day trip which gets under way on March 8.

Malvern College pupil Haynes has been working with academy coach Elliot Wilson.

He captained the Midlands side in the Bunburys in 2015 and was part of the squad who won the T20 competition 12 months later.

Then last summer he played a major role in the Midlands completing a Super Fours 50-over and T20 double when Wilson coached the side.

Haynes skippered England Schools' under 16s on their tour of Sri Lanka last March and Worcestershire under 17s before making his second XI debut later in the summer.

Now he is to be given the opportunity to travel to the UAE and reap the benefits of working alongside the senior pros.

Last year, two other youngsters in paceman Pat Brown,who went on to play the final four County Championship matches, and batsman Josh Dell were in the squad.

New head coach Kevin Sharp said: “Jack will be part of the squad going to Abu Dhabi and it is a wonderful opportunity for him to work with the pros and get some valuable experience.

“It has fallen at a time study-wise where he is able to take those few days away and his family is very supportive of that.

“His dad (Gavin Haynes) is obviously a former player and coaches on the academy as well so they are happy for him to go “Jack is going to be a fine young player, he is on the academy and has got great potential.

“He made scores as a 14 to 15-year-old in practice matches pre-season among the pros and academy.

“He has got all that in the bag behind him and is a mature lad for his age.”

Sharp gave Haynes his debut in the seconds last season.

He said: “The age scenario is not so much an issue for me as long as you know they are capable.

“Although he probably didn’t make the scores he would have liked to have done last summer (in the second XI), I’m sure he will do in the future.”

Wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Milton will also be part of the County squad for their now regular pre-season trip to the UAE.

Milton signed his first professional contract at the end of last season.

He is on a university scholarship for 2018 which the County are helping to finance as he completes his studies at Cardiff MCCU.

The 21-year-old will then join up with the staff at New Road full-time for the 2019 campaign.

Sharp said: “Alex has managed his diary so he can come on the trip. He is a very conscientious young man.

“He is working very hard with his cricket and his uni stuff. He has got an important final year and is also uni cricket captain.

“He has got a lot on his plate but is coming with us and may do a bit of studying for an hour or two!”

Sharp said pace duo Dillon Pennington and Adam Finch will be allowed to catch up with their studies while the squad is away after a busy winter with England under 19s.

He said: “They’ve had such a long winter away from their studies. They’ve been to South Africa and then the Under 19s World Cup in New Zealand.

“They have missed a bit of school and uni time so they just need a bit of a catch-up and probably need a bit of a break.

“Dillon and Adam are still young men and growing and they need a bit of a break from it although they are in and around the squad at the moment.”

Worcestershire will miss three of their senior players when they fly out to the UAE.

Ross Whiteley will be in Pakistan Super League action while Brett D’Oliveira and Joe Clarke are on duty for the North versus South in a 50-over series in the Caribbean.

Worcestershire squad: Leach, Cox, Barnard, Brown, Fell, Haynes, Magoffin, Milton, Mitchell, Morris, Rhodes, Scrimshaw, Shantry, Tongue, Twohig, Westbury.