The Desert Vipers Talent Pathway programme powered by Balqis Capital has had a successful lift-off in Dubai.
The programme has been created to unearth local talent and prepare them for international competitions and Balqis Capital CEO Laura Mann, one of the driving forces behind it, believes this is a winning format which can be replicated globally.
“There are so many academies here which is fine,” she said. “But we wanted to create that club, that community, that has something different to what everybody else has to offer, which is what we have with our main business (Balqis Capital) on the investment side of things. We offer unique opportunities that nobody else does, like this cricket scheme.
“We see this scaling, actually. I think if we can build on the core foundations of what we have built in a very short space of time and if we get the right partners and investors for the club in addition to what we do, I think this is a scalable business model.
“Our plan is to replicate this here and potentially overseas as well with the same brand.”
The programme was established to identify cricket talent in the UAE with a focus on boys and girls aged 13 to 19, and to prepare them for the ILT20 Development Tournament, the DP World ILT20 and possibly the UAE national team.
Training sessions have been ongoing since September and the talent on display is impressive. This initiative from Desert Vipers is yet another example of community engagement, providing local players with an opportunity to progress toward higher levels of competition.
The backroom staff is led by Jack Luffman, the Development lead for the Desert Vipers, and includes Arron Lilley, a former professional cricketer with Lancashire and Leicestershire, Clint Berkenshaw, Head of Cricket at Dubai College and an experienced coach in South Africa and the UAE, Mohammed Rizvi, a current player with Kent County Cricket Club in England and someone with a wealth of coaching experience in academies in the UK, and finally Chaya Mughal, the former UAE women’s captain.
With sessions held bi-weekly in Dubai, the Talent Pathway Programme creates bespoke targets for each selected participant, chosen through comprehensive and competitive trials, with an emphasis on high performance.
Jack Luffman said the programme had distinctive strengths.
“The idea of our Talent Pathway is all about high performance and trying to offer something that we believe is not on offer here in the UAE.
“At the moment we are running the programme with about 18 to 20 students thanks to Balqis Capital, who have helped to invest in the project because, like the Vipers, they want to invest in youth and offer a pathway through to the DP World ILT20 main team.
“To begin with we have said to the students that, first of all, the Development Tournament comes along in about a year’s time which would be great for them to be involved in, and then hopefully in a couple of years’ time we will see one or two of the boys play in the main tournament.”
“What sets us apart is that not only will the Talent Pathway players get the traditional net sessions, but we have got strength and conditioning sessions which will involve international backroom superstars like strength and conditioning coach Daz (Darren) Veness who, apart from working with the Desert Vipers main team, has global experience including with the Indian Premier League (IPL) team the Gujarat Titans and with The Hundred side the Oval Invincibles as well as Surrey and Somerset County Cricket Clubs.
“We are also going to offer some online cricket analysis sessions with renowned analyst Freddie Wilde, who has also worked with the Vipers main team, IPL side the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the England white ball team.
“Alongside sessions on strategy, nutrition, and mental fitness, this comprehensive programme complements what students learn at school or within their academies or clubs, providing a distinct advantage.
“And come tournament time, when all our big stars and big coaches are in town, these boys and girls will be able to get some expert coaching from the likes of Tom Moody and James Foster, and they will be getting exactly the same tips as these coaches would give the likes of international stars like Sam Curran, Lockie Ferguson and Fakhar Zaman.
“So hopefully the boys and the girls will also get to rub shoulders with our first team stars at a couple of training sessions during the tournament, offering them an insight into what professional cricket and professional franchise cricket is all about.”
Head Coach Arron Lilley said he was especially excited about the opportunities on offer for budding female cricketers: “I think the end goal for anybody that trains and does cricket is to become professional, so hopefully we can have a couple of youngsters that go on and do that, whether that is a boy or a girl.
“Women’s cricket is evolving every year. So, I hope that within the next year or two, there will be an ILT20 women’s competition. This gives an opportunity for these girls in the UAE to put themselves on the big stage.
“Hopefully we can get these girls (in the Talent Pathway Programme) into a position where they can go straight into either the UAE team or the ILT20 team with the Vipers.”
Dhairya Desai, a 16-year-old left-arm spinner and member of the first intake of the Talent Pathway Programme, said he hoped to further develop his abilities.
In addition to progressing his skills, he said he was interested in enhancing his mental resilience: “I wholeheartedly believe that the game is 90 per cent mental and 10 per cent dependent on your physical skills, bowling, batting, etc.
“I hope that the pathway gives me a little more insight, and maybe some more effective techniques on that side of the game (mental strength). The stuff that is off the field or the stuff that is internal and not necessarily the physical stuff.
“I am surprised with the personalised feedback I have been given at the Desert Vipers Pathway Programme. There are not a lot of places that give you so much personalised attention and feedback.
“I am already feeling the difference in my game. Coach Arron (Lilley) has been giving me a few batting tips related to my alignment when I am batting. So now I am able to play swing bowling better.
“With my bowling he has helped me improve my pace, which allows me to turn the ball at a faster pace and be more accurate. So, it is all about adding to my game and to what I already have which I think is a huge bonus for me.”
Celestino Shane Cardozo a 14-year-old budding fast bowler has set himself very clear targets: “One of my main goals is to definitely play for and represent the Desert Vipers in the main team,” he said.
“But right now, I am working on my pace. I have had the chance to work one-on-one with Coach (Arron) Lilley. He has helped me with my fast bowling and given me tips on how to improve my technique while I bowl.”
