Tom Moody, the Desert Vipers’ Director of Cricket, has pronounced himself “very happy” with the results of the inaugural DP World ILT20 player auction, held in Dubai on Wednesday.
The Vipers brought in 12 players during the marathon bidding session, including three players from Pakistan – batters Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Nawaz plus fast bowler Naseem Shah; two from Afghanistan – leg-spinner Qais Ahmad and left-arm fast bowler Faridoon Dawoodzai; and an additional Associate player, Scotland batter Thomas Bruce.
The Vipers also topped up their UAE contingent, adding to the already-retained fast bowler Khuzaima Bin Tanveer by recruiting all-rounder Sanjay Pahal, fast bowler Matiullah Khan and wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind.
There was a spot for the Kent and Oval Invincibles batter Tawanda Muyeye from England and also picked up were the franchise’s first signings from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia – batters Bilal Tahir (Kuwaiti) and Faisal Khan (Saudi).
“We are very happy overall, it was a very solid auction for us,” Moody said as he reflected on the bidding that saw the six franchises complete their line-ups for season four. “We are thrilled to continue our good relationship with Pakistan and having Pakistan players involved in the DP World ILT20.
“Fakhar Zaman was with us last season, we are thrilled to welcome him back and I know he enjoyed his time with us earlier this year.
“He has a lot of experience, he is a quality leader within our group and he is a real impact player at the top of the order.”
Fakhar has played three Tests, 86 One-Day Internationals and 109 Twenty20 Internationals and has a double-hundred in ODIs – 210 not out against Zimbabwe, an illustration of his hitting power.
He was also player of the match in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final at The Oval in London when he made 114 from 106 balls against India and holds the record for the fastest male player to reach 1000 ODI runs, achieving that mark in his 18th match.
“Hasan Nawaz is an emerging, exciting power-hitter who has had a superb 12 months both in Pakistan colours and franchise cricket,” Moody added. “He is someone who can really impact the game and he has the versatility to bat anywhere in the order from number one to number seven.”
Naseem Shah has played 20 Tests, 30 ODIs and 30 T20Is and took a Test hat-trick against Bangladesh in Islamabad in 2020.
“Naseem needs no introduction really because he is a high-quality fast bowler who has the ability to bowl in all three phases of the game so we look forward to seeing what he can bring to the Desert Vipers,” Moody said.
Naseem’s inclusion continues the seam of Pakistan fast bowling that has run through much of the Vipers history with Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Shah Afridi previously representing the franchise.
A fast bowler originally hailing from Pakistan, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, was retained by the Vipers as one of the team’s UAE players and the side added three more players from the tournament’s host country.
“Vriitya Aravind was the very first player to get picked in the auction and he has plenty of experience of this tournament with other teams, as well as lots of national experience,” Moody said.
“He will give us a great option as a wicketkeeper-batter, which every squad needs. He adds that quality and class behind the stumps and he will strengthen our top order.”
Vriitya has played 63 ODIs and 48 T20Is and has topped 1000 runs in both formats. He has batted in seven different positions in T20Is and has kept for his country in 17 of 48 T20Is and 51 of 63 ODIs. He was also part of the UAE squad that took part in the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.
The Vipers’ other two UAE picks were players who featured for the Desert Vipers Development Team in the ILT20 Development Tournament, with the side reaching the final of that competition.
“Matiullah Khan is a genuine new ball bowler and he really showed some positive signs in that Development Tournament. We are thrilled to secure his talents,” Moody said.
“Sanjay Pahal was player of that tournament in the Development Tournament and that speaks for itself. He has got some really good all-round skills.
“Sanjay is a power hitter, he is handy with the ball and is dynamic in the field.”
“We are thrilled to have such a talented group of UAE players joining Khuzaima, who was a retained player,” Moody added.
On Qais Ahmad and Faridoon Dawoodzai, the Director of Cricket, said: “Qais is a familiar face to franchise cricket.
“He is familiar with this tournament having played in it before and that is obviously an advantage, knowing about conditions and how the tournament is run.
“Qais is an exciting leg-spinner who also offers a lot of energy in the field. He will not only add his experience but also some real class as a wrist spinner to our squad.”
That experience has seen Qais play in the Big Bash League (Australia), the Lanka Premier League (Sri Lanka), the T20 Blast and The Hundred (England and Wales) and the Caribbean Premier League (West Indies). Qais is capped across all formats for his country.
“Faridoon Dawoodzai is a really exciting, emerging left-arm fast bowler,” said Moody.
“We are always excited to try and pick a couple of players we feel that are on the rapid rise and we have identified him as a player that is one to watch out for.
“We are excited to work with Faridoon and see what he can bring to the table. He has all the skills and will only benefit from the experience and exposure, both around the training environment and, when he gets the opportunity, to play in the team.”
Season four of the DP World ILT20 will be the first time that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait players will feature in the tournament and the Vipers secured one player from each country in the auction.
“It is great that new players from those countries will be part of this year’s tournament,” Moody said.
“From Saudi Arabia, Faisal Khan is going to be a great addition to the squad.
“He is someone who has a good reputation in Saudi cricket, he is an experienced batter and we are sure he will enjoy the environment with the Desert Vipers.”
“Bilal Tahir from Kuwait is someone we were thrilled to get in the auction,” said Moody. “He is a versatile batter and has been one of the mainstays of his country’s cricket.
“Both players will add value to the Desert Vipers squad, there is no doubt about that.”
Bilal is one of only seven players to play 50 or more T20Is for his country.
Another new player for the Vipers is Tawanda Muyeye but, for Moody, the top-order batter is already a familiar face as the duo have worked together in The Hundred at the Oval Invincibles, where the Vipers Director of Cricket is Head Coach and where he has led that side to three successive titles.
“Tawanda is one of the really exciting young players coming through English cricket,” he said.
“He is a real stroke-player, a dynamic fielder and a great character and leader to have around the group.
“He will add great depth to our top order and he is a really exciting player that has an enormous upside,” Moody said.
The Vipers needed to sign two players from Associate teams for this edition of the tournament and having already secured the services of Andries Gous, the USA wicketkeeper-batter, that left room for one more.
The team’s thinktank went for Scotland batter Thomas Bruce, who started his career in his native New Zealand and playing Twenty20 International cricket for the Black Caps before switching his allegiance to Scotland, where his father was born.
“Tom has a lot of experience,” Moody said. “He is a quality top-order player, a dynamic fielder and will add great depth to our batting options as well as bringing a wealth of cricketing smarts to our group.”
The Desert Vipers will start their campaign for silverware in the first match of season four of the DP World ILT20 on 2 December, facing the Dubai Capitals in a repeat of the final from season three.
The Vipers have reached the final of the tournament twice in the three previous editions, also doing so in the inaugural event, in 2023.
