Pakistani spin sensation Usman Tariq has joined the Desert Vipers ahead of the post-season play-offs of the DP World ILT20.

The off-spinner has arrived as a replacement for captain Lockie Ferguson after the New Zealand pace bowler suffered a tournament-ending injury.

Usman Tariq has enjoyed a sensational 2025 in Twenty20 cricket, making his debut for his country in the format in November and taking six wickets in two matches in a tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe, including a hat-trick against the latter in Rawalpindi.

The 27-year-old was selected for Pakistan following a superb debut campaign in this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), where he took 20 wickets in 10 matches for the Trinbago Knight Riders, the second-best haul in the tournament, as his side lifted the silverware.

Usman has also previously featured in the Pakistan Super League for Quetta Gladiators.

Lockie Ferguson was ruled out of action for the remainder of this edition of the DP World ILT20 after suffering a calf injury in the defeat against MI Emirates on December 21..

Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody said: “We are delighted to have Usman join us for the business end of the tournament.

“He is on the crest of a wave at the moment given his success in Pakistan’s T20I side and his sensational performances in the CPL. He is consistent, varies his pace and has an unusual action which adds to the test he presents to opposition batters.

“He has also proved himself as a big-game player in this format through his performances in the CPL as well as what he did last month in international cricket. He is a real threat with the ball and the variety he offers provides us with a valuable extra option.

“We are extremely sad to lose Lockie as both an outstanding fast bowler and also our captain. He once again showed himself to be a terrific leader this season both on and off the pitch and we wish him well for a speedy recovery from injury.”

After finishing top of the regular season league standings with a record-breaking eight wins from 10 matches, the Desert Vipers’ next match of the DP World ILT20 is Qualifier 1 in Abu Dhabi on December 30.

If the Vipers win that match, they will go forward to the final on January 4; if they lose then they will have a second chance to reach the final via Qualifier 2 in Sharjah on January 2.

The Desert Vipers’ more sustainable line of clothing from PALMFIT is now available via the franchise’s online shop: https://shop.thedesertvipers.com 

-Ends-

For more information please contact: Brian Murgatroyd & Roshni Jayakrishnan: media@thedesertvipers.com

Pakistani left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar has been drafted into the Desert Vipers squad for the ongoing DP World ILT20. The 30-year-old links up with the table-topping Vipers following the departure of Afghanistan left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad.

Zafar arrives off the back of List A cricket in Pakistan, and that followed an excellent season in English county cricket for Middlesex where he took 38 wickets in first-class cricket, making him the leading spin bowler in Division 2 of the County Championship.

The player, who has one Test and one One-Day International cap for Pakistan, also played every match for Middlesex in the 2025 T20 Blast, taking 14 wickets, and that form saw him snapped up by the Oval Invincibles for the men’s Hundred, part of a squad that also featured Sam Curran.

Zafar has previously featured in the Pakistan Super League for Lahore Qalanders and Islamabad United.

Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured the services of Zafar and look forward to him playing a significant role for us as we go in search of our first DP World ILT20 title.

“Zafar has international experience and significant Twenty20 experience and, as he bowls left-arm spin, he adds variety to our attack.

“He is a player I signed this year for the Oval Invincibles and so I am well aware of his attributes.

“He is accurate and he joins us off the back of not only an excellent season in English county cricket but also recent cricket in Pakistan where he has been showcasing his ability with not only the ball but also the bat.

“Zafar adds quality and depth to our bowling resources, and we are sure he will have a role to play as the tournament moves towards its conclusion.

“We thank Noor for stepping in when Wanindu Hasaranga was unable to play for us this season. He was a superb addition to our squad, and we wish him well with what he is next in line to do.”

The Desert Vipers’ final match of the league stage of the DP World ILT20, against the Sharjah Warriorz in Sharjah on 26 December, will be followed by Qualifier 1 in Abu Dhabi on 30 December.

If the Vipers win that match, they will go forward to the final on 4 January; if they lose then they will have a second chance to reach the final via Qualifier 2 in Sharjah on 2 January.

USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous has given the Desert Vipers a timely boost with the news that he is close to a return to action after missing five games due to a calf injury. Gous sustained the injury in the team’s fourth match against MI Emirates, but has been working hard with the team’s physiotherapist Nirmalan (‘Nirm’) Thanabalasingam and strength and conditioning coach Darren (‘Daz’) Veness to regain his fitness to play.

“It was a frustrating few days, but it is good to be finally back with the option of being selected for the playing XI,” Gous told the Vipers Voices podcast. “It was just a small tear in my calf that happened on the night of that fourth game, so luckily it has healed now and I am all ready to go.” Gous spent his enforced lay-off watching the action, often alongside the franchise’s backroom staff, including fielding coach Simon Helmot, batting coach Neil McKenzie and Director of Cricket Tom Moody.

And he said that was time well spent soaking up their collective experience and wisdom.

“I tried to get some information out of all of the coaches,” Gous said. “I sat next to Simon Helmot and Neil Mckenzie, as well as Tom Moody. 

“I was just trying to pick their brain a little bit about cricket, about what was happening in the game as well.

“I was trying to learn what I could so that when I came back into the team I could try and be a little bit better than I was before. It has been really good to speak to these brilliant people and obviously I was able to learn a lot by watching cricket as well. So that has been really good on a positive side.”Following the Vipers’ four-wicket loss to MI Emirates, Gous said he felt the side’s final league match, against the Sharjah Warriors on December the 26^th, was crucial for the team to recapture some momentum ahead of the play-offs.

“It (defeat to MI Emirates) was a tough one, because obviously we made a few changes as well. We lost our skipper (Lockie Ferguson, who went off injured) halfway through his overs, so you never know what could have happened if he had finished the game. 

“I think definitely in this Sharjah game coming up, we want to just make sure we play to our ability, whatever the result is. We just want to make sure that we get into a certain mindset where we can go to the play-offs very positive and play the brand of cricket that we want to play.

“I think that is probably more important than the result for this upcoming game but obviously winning is a habit, so we want to get back into that winning circle and make sure that we can just keep it going.”

An added incentive for victory against the Warriorz is that it would make the Desert Vipers the first side in the history of the DP World ILT20 to win eight regular season games, a milestone that Gous said excited him. “That sounds incredible. Just from the start of the season, you can feel there has been something special brewing in this team. We run an unbelievable culture.

“I am just really excited to be part of this again. It is so good to be in a team where everybody supports each other and the love for cricket is evident whenever we play, and the care for each other is there.

“So, I am not surprised that we are seven wins out of nine games. Hopefully we can get that one more and break the record.”

The Desert Vipers next play the Sharjah Warriorz on Friday, December 26^th, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, starting at 6:30 pm. 

Desert Vipers newcomer Jason Roy says the side will not settle for mediocrity and will look to go into the play-offs with a win against Sharjah Warriorz in their final match of the league stages of the DP World ILT20.

The Vipers go into that game knowing they can create history as the first team in tournament history to win eight matches in the regular season.

And ICC Cricket World Cup-winning England batter Roy told the Vipers Voices podcast that although a place in the top two of the six-team competition was locked in, the aim was still to win that next encounter on Friday the 26^th of December.

“No doubt you want to win,” he said. “You want to go into those games with other teams thinking: ‘these guys do not lose’. I think that is a big contributing factor (to a team’s success).

“For a team to come into a play-off game, no matter which one it is, and for them to think, ‘the Desert Vipers have only lost two games (in the group stage).’ That (for us) is huge.

“I just get that feeling amongst the group that they will not settle for mediocrity. They do not settle for that idea of just going through the motions. This was true even for the back-to-back games last Saturday and Sunday. 

“In the game on Sunday, the boys were fired up. We only got around 125 runs, and we came out in the field firing, pushing hard for that win. It did not go our way, but we still pushed for that win. And that was incredible to see because sometimes you can just rest on your laurels and just think it is ok (to lose) since we have qualified and go through the motions, lose the game in 14 overs and then crack on.

“But the boys pushed and pushed and pushed. So that was good to see.”

Roy, 35, arrived in Dubai on Saturday morning as a replacement for the injured West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer and was on the park for the Desert Vipers that evening, against his former side the Sharjah Warriorz. 

Best known as an opening batter, Jason Roy was asked to adapt to a new role as finisher and he explained why that was not a problem.

“Obviously, a lot of T20 cricket has been played for me up at the top, batting at one, two or three. So, it was a conversation with Tom Moody where he asked if I would mind fitting in, in a finisher role, and I agreed immediately and went to work hard at adapting to that.

“So, on Sunday, before the game, I went to the nets and worked on a few bits, changed a couple of things, maybe tinkered with a few things. But to be honest with you, if the pitches are going to be the way they were (on Sunday), it is quite handy coming in there (as a finisher) because I can manipulate the strike, play well against the spin, and then go hard towards the end – not too different to what it is like opening the innings. You have just got to rebuild the innings a bit. 

“I understand that I might not be a Rovman Powell or a Shimron Hetmyer that can hit sixes at will; I am a four-hitter with the odd six. So, I will not be trying to be something I am not. I think that is really important. I think that goes throughout the batting order. Do not be something you are not.

“Especially, in that middle order, I know I cannot come in and try and pretend to be Kieron Pollard. I just have to bat my own way, and find a way to manipulate the strike, be smart in the way I go about my business, know what the bowler is going to give me and then go from there.

“But I am comfortable. I have played a lot of cricket. Being comfortable is part of the job. Wherever you are told to bat, you go in there and you have got to do your job.”

Roy comes into the tournament with recent match action and UAE experience behind him. He captained the Royal Champs in the Abu Dhabi T10 that wrapped up in late November. And he said that experience, and also the two games he played last weekend, showed him that the batters might be required to show a lot of grit and determination to build an innings in the rest of the tournament.

“If they (the pitches) stay the same (as we saw last weekend), it is going to be hard work. No doubt about that. You saw Dan Lawrence the other night and Max Holden, who both played very well, to get that start that we needed with that newer ball when it was not gripping or getting into the pitch as much (was very important). 

“So (it is important to) get a good start, a solid base for us to go into the back 10 overs. I think if we can hold off on (losing) too many wickets lost by the tenth (over) and then trampoline that last 10 overs, especially on slower pitches, it would play a huge part.

“But I think that obviously Dan the other day in that game (against MI Emirates) played incredibly well, played exactly as we needed. And we built a partnership to then be able to kick on. 

“Obviously the run out (when Jason was dismissed) was a shame, but that is part of the game. I think it is just a case of being smart, not losing too many early wickets and batting in partnerships.

“On better pitches, you can just have an individual player that gets a lot of runs. But when it is tough, you really have to work with your guy at the other end.”

And with the play-offs approaching, do the Vipers have a cause for optimism that this is their season?

“The proof is in the start of the whole competition,” said Roy. “The way individuals have stepped up, and the way the team stepped up at different moments (is there for all to see). It has not just been a one-man show, it has been everyone contributing, which is massive going into play-offs.

“Everyone is going to be high on confidence. There is no-one in the team that does not believe. I think that is also a huge part of it.

“When you have got such an incredible environment and you have got good people that want the best for each other, I think that brings out individual performances as well. There is no stone unturned with this franchise. Everything has run really well, everyone is well looked after mentally, physically and technically from what I have seen so far.

“And the hunger for excellence is amazing. No one wants to settle for mediocrity. Everyone is pushing hard for performances. So I think if you do support the Desert Vipers, you are in very good hands.”

The Desert Vipers were handed only their second defeat in nine outings, losing to MI Emirates by four wickets in Dubai.

Put into bat, the Desert Vipers struggled to score on a tough pitch. Dan Lawrence top-scored with an unbeaten 35 as the side scrambled to 124 for seven in their 20 overs.

The MI Emirates spinners, led by Player of the Match Shakib Al Hasan (two for 14), kept a tight hold on the scoring and MI used 12 overs of spin during the innings.

With the Vipers already guaranteed a top-two spot in the league table – and therefore two chances to reach the final via the post-season play-offs – the franchise took the opportunity to give opportunities to UAE players Matiullah Khan and Sanjay Pahal and both contributed positively: Matiullah excelled with the ball, claiming two wickets—including MI Emirates skipper Kieron Pollard. 

Ultimately however, MI Emirates reached their target comfortably, with 15 balls to spare.

Match Scores: 

Toss: MI Emirates 

Desert Vipers: 124/7(20 overs)

Top scorer: Dan Lawrence 35 not out

MI Emirates: 128/6 (17.3 overs)

Top scorer: Kieron Pollard 26 (15 deliveries)

Match Result: MI Emirates won by four wickets

Player of the Match: Shakib Al Hasan 17 not out and 2-14

Here are some quotes from the Vipers Voices post-match vodcast and podcast featuring Desert Vipers Head Coach James Foster:

On the team putting up a good fight against MI Emirates in tough conditions:

 ““It was a really interesting game. I really enjoy being involved in these types of games and these types of surfaces.

“It was a tricky pitch, (and we) managed to get to a score which I thought was very defendable, and I actually was really pleased with the amount of fight and courage and effort and scrap shown today. Obviously (we were up) against a very good side in Mumbai. I am delighted with the effort. The result did not go our way, but there were a lot of good things on show.”

On how much the team missed the services of Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmed, who has departed for the SA20 competition:

“Noor has been wonderful for us this season. He really has. He is a match winner.

“We spoke about Noor (on Vipers Voices) before the competition started and mentioned the threat that he possesses for the opposition. He is world-class and he has been so much fun for us as well off the pitch. So, obviously (he is) a big loss, but we have still got some good options within our stables.”

On Lockie Ferguson and an update on his injury: 

“He has an issue with the calf. He has got it strapped up at the moment. We will be going for a scan, etc. It is a real shame seeing that he has worked so hard to get back on the park after an injury during the back end of the men’s Hundred in the English season this year.

He has been working tirelessly and I actually thought he bowled really well today. I know he bowled just nine balls, but he looked quick, he looked on song, he had a great rhythm and unfortunately it is just one of those things.”

On giving UAE players Matiullah Khan and Sanjay Pahal the opportunity to play in the match against MI Emirates:

“They were brilliant today and they really impressed. Obviously this was their first chance as although Mati’ played early on in the season, he did not get the opportunity to bowl when we played Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at Sharjah. I thought they were both outstanding today.

“Kudos to Azhar (Mahmood). He has been working really hard with them all the way through since we have reported. They are two great guys and they have not had a huge amount of opportunity this season, but their character has really shone through. 

“Part of the reason we selected them is that they have been constantly smiling, constantly giving to the team and I thought they did a wonderful job today, especially with the ball.

“Sanjay obviously swung the ball, and he has got good skills. They (MI Emirates) tried to counter his swing by using their feet, but it was very promising. Also, Mati’, coming in halfway through our innings, he used his change-ups ( and they were effective). I am delighted for the pair of them.”

On how the Desert Vipers will approach the final group game of their campaign and how important a win will be for the team in the game against Sharjah Warriorz on December 26th: 

“It is the nature of the beast of this format. Yes, you want to win every single game, but it is not always the case. We will be preparing like we always do, preparing to win, putting the best team forward for that game.

“Today, it was about trying to give a few guys a bit of a rest, because, as I said, it has been a very gruelling season. You chat to players from the opposite teams as well. The guys are picking up some niggles here and there.

“So, we will be doing our work. We will have a little bit of training, then Christmas Day, which will be a great moment for the team. We are thoroughly looking forward to getting together as a great big unit and then excited about the game on the 26^th.”
The Desert Vipers next play the Sharjah Warriorz on Friday, December 26^th,  at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, starting at 6:30 pm.