Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody said lessons have been learned by the franchise after last season’s failure to reach the playoffs of the DP World ILT20, the United Arab Emirates’ own T20 tournament.

The Vipers were runners-up in season one, losing out to inaugural champions the Gulf Giants in February 2023, but twelve months later finished fifth in the six-team competition to miss out on a spot in the post-season action.

And Moody told the Vipers Voices podcast that a post-season debrief and time away from the intensity of the tournament provided some valuable perspective on what went wrong and how it can be put right when season three gets underway next month.

“I think, with hindsight, we learned that players coming and going because of other commitments and because of restricted No Objection Certificates (from their home boards) with regards to their dates (of availability), can have a disruptive influence within the group in that you are not settled as a unit,” said Moody.

“You have got people coming, fresh faces coming into the group, and those faces leaving soon after. So, yes, we learned that as a lesson.

“So, the focus will be – and I am sure (Head Coach) James Foster will be endeavouring to create this environment – on trying to have a close-knit unit that not only enjoys what is on offer off the field but brings that sort of joy and enthusiasm on the field too.”Two of the players looking to bring that joy and enthusiasm are Dhruv Parashar and Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, the two players the Desert Vipers secured in the UAE player draft on Wednesday.

Off-spinning all-rounder Parashar, who will celebrate his 20th birthday later this month, is no stranger to the Vipers set-up as he was part of the squad in season one. Most recently, in November, he was part of the UAE squad that won the ICC T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B against Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Cambodia and Bhutan, finishing as the top wicket-taker in the tournament with 12 wickets.

Director Cricket Tom Moody said he was pleased that the Vipers had the chance to reunite with Dhruv: “We consider Dhruv a very exciting off-spinner, all-rounder. He's getting more and more opportunities at the UAE level and thriving with those opportunities.

“So it's great to have him back. We always plan to try to keep a core of players that have had a connection with us as a franchise and Dhruv is one of those players. And it's thrilling to see young players emerge through the system and we hope that his contact and journey with us at Desert Vipers is only going to help kick on his career, which is certainly going in the right direction.”

And Tanveer, a 24-year-old fast bowler, impressed during the ILT20 Development Tournament when he played for the Desert Vipers Development side in that competition. Subsequently, he played for the New York Strikers in the recently concluded Abu Dhabi T10, featuring alongside fellow Vipers fast bowler Mohammad Amir.

Commenting on the new fast bowling addition Tom Moody added: “(We are)Thrilled to pick up Khuzaima in the draft today. A quality emerging fast bowler that we've had a bit to do with over recent times and watched him very closely. (Khuzaima) Can bowl some high pace and can be a threat with a new ball but also be more than useful as the innings unfold.

“So it's going to be exciting to get him in a Vipers shirt and I'm sure we'll see some exciting things from him come season 2025.”

One player who will not be returning to the Vipers is Colin Munro, captain for the first two editions of the tournament, as he is taking part in Australia’s Big Bash League.

Tom Moody paid tribute to Munro’s contribution towards the development of the Vipers’ culture and said a decision on the side’s new captain would be taken in due course.

“Colin has been a phenomenal performer for many, many years in this format,” said Moody. “It was a privilege for us to have him for the first couple of years of our journey.

“With regards to the new captain, it is certainly not something we are going to rush into.“There are a couple of options that we are considering but we will keep our cards pretty close to our chest because there are conversations that are yet to be had.”

The team will get underway on day two of the upcoming tournament, against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi, in an afternoon match on Sunday 12 January.

The Vipers will play 10 matches in 23 days, including the final group match before the post-season play-offs, but have avoided any back-to-back fixtures after having that scenario twice last season as part of a tough run of six matches in nine days.

Reacting to the schedule, Moody said: “It was a nice surprise, to be honest with you, to see the way the fixtures have been spread out over the season for us.

“We did have our challenges last year with the volume of cricket over a short period of time, managing players and having to make sure that they were fresh all the time.

“Back-to-back games were not an ideal situation, so it is good we have avoided that this coming season.

“As for having to play that last group game (against the Dubai Capitals in Sharjah on Monday 3 February), I see there is an advantage as we have got that very last game to deal with anything we may need to address. It is in our control against it being totally out of our control.”

While Moody and the team management have been busy working on the on-field side of

the franchise, the Desert Vipers have also continued to be busy in the off-season with a school programme, as well as continuing to build the side’s sustainability programme, through promoting the use of sustainable kits while also refusing to use plastic bottles both on and off the field.

And reflecting on that, Moody said: “I think it is exciting what we are doing outside of tournament time.

“It is something that the management and the ownership are very proud of with regards to their connection with the young emerging cricketers in the region through the school programme. And we are trying to not only provide that exposure with regards to cricket, but we are also giving them education around sustainability and everything that we are trying to do as an organisation.

“The children of today are very mindful of those things. And so they should be. And with regards to our behaviour around sustainability as an organisation, it is something that I think a lot of sporting teams are starting to slowly connect with and realise that there is a difference that can be made.

“I think it is only going to be a healthy thing for not only the game but, on a broader scale, the planet.”After all the squad-building over the off-season, the obvious question is whether the group of players that have been assembled is stronger than season two, or even season one for that matter.

“I am excited with what we have got,” said Moody. “There is no question of that. But is it stronger than last year or the first year? You could argue the case one way or the other.

“At the end of the day, you are only as strong as the performances that you put in throughout a tournament and the consistency you show as a team throughout that tournament.

“Yes, we have got some exciting match winners. There is no question of that. It is enough to say at this stage that I think we have managed to put together three very good squads over three seasons. So let us hope this is the one that ends up lifting the trophy.”

The DP World ILT20 kicks off on 11 January 2025 in Dubai with defending champions MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals playing at the Dubai International Stadium. The Desert Vipers play their first game the following day at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.