Dubai, UAE (Jan 11, 2025) – Desert Vipers’ new captain Lockie Ferguson has a clear message for his team ahead of their tournament opener against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) on Sunday: let the opposition worry about us.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, the New Zealand fast bowler said that while the opposition side was loaded with legends of the game, he wanted the Desert Vipers to focus inwards and build on their own skill set.
“I think too often we maybe focus on other teams' strengths but sometimes forget our own,” he said. “I certainly felt talking with the coaches of this group that it is important we look after our own backyard, make sure we are focusing on what we do well and trying to exploit that as much as possible.
On Sunday the opposition include some high-profile players in the Twenty20 arena including West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell and Jason Holder, captain Sunil Narine, and hard-hitting USA batter Andries Gous.
But the Desert Vipers’ leader said this level of quality was what made the DP World ILT20 such a special and an exciting tournament.
“Yes, there is a lot of firepower within that (ADKR) side. It is important to go into the match prepared and then adjust accordingly on the day, but it will be a good tussle for sure.
“This tournament is highly skilled and I think across the board each team is intimidating. The Desert Vipers certainly fit into that mould as well, but it is the exciting part of playing these tournaments. You want to test yourself against the best. I know, having played alongside a lot of those players, it is nice to challenge myself against them as well.
“It is the fantastic part about playing international franchises that often you will be playing against them and then perhaps the next tournament you are playing alongside them.
“So, it is about trying to learn from the players you have on your side and then trying to remember what they said when you played with them and trying to use it a little bit against them. That is all part of the game of cricket. But we will certainly be doing our homework.”
The captain made a special mention of how Vipers teammate Sherfane Rutherford impressed him in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), as they were also teammates at Sydney Thunder. Rutherford led Thunder to a thrilling victory on January the 3rd against the Perth Scorchers, scoring 15 runs off the final over, including a last-ball boundary, to underline his match-winning ability.
“That was unbelievable,” said Ferguson. “He is one of those players that wins those games for you and those are the big moments that are crucial in a tournament. You win those games that get you through to the finals and that gives your team the confidence to continue that way.
“He had a tough start (at the BBL) which happens in cricket where you just get the nick that gets caught or the ball does not go over the ‘keeper. So, it was awesome to watch him just be so consistent about his prep, knowing and backing his talents and his experience that he would come good at some stage, and he did. He came good for us against Perth in a really, really tough moment.
“I was stoked for him to get us across the line. It was in front of about 40-odd thousand people and for a domestic game, pretty incredible. It was nice to get those two points that game and I am sure he's having a nap now which is great and resting up for game one tomorrow.”
When asked about what he thought was the key to success in this tournament, the Desert Vipers captain said reading the conditions and adapting quickly was crucial.
“The benefit of playing around the world is understanding as quickly as possible on the day what works on that wicket,” he said.
“Talking with the other bowlers and communication is one of those cliches that gets thrown around but it's actually probably one of the most important things to adjusting quickly - particularly in a T20 game where everything happens so quickly.
“Having played here in the past I have got a lot of learnings. I think the beauty of UAE cricket is that each ground is very different. In Abu Dhabi there are bigger boundaries, and you can actually have a bit of pace in the wicket, through to Sharjah which is obviously a smaller, sliding-on wicket. We have not played yet so I am not sure what the wickets will be like and it is important to look to our experience within the squad.
“We are very blessed to have the Pakistan boys with us who have played a lot here and will help to understand the wicket as quick as possible and then review quickly because we only have those one-day turnarounds.
“The most exciting part of cricket, I think, is that each day it is different. It certainly keeps my energy and my enthusiasm to want to continue to improve and perform on the wickets and I can see the exact same thing with the Desert Vipers.”
And looking ahead the skipper admitted that he was nervous, but in a good way.
“(I am) always nervous. I think you are nervous because you care and, obviously, I care extremely highly because I am skippering this team and I want us to do well. But at the same time, it is nice to look around the changing room and see so much experience and excitement from the team that they are keen to go out there and take on those tough moments in the game. So, like I have always done in my career, we will take it one game at a time.”
