Tom Moody, Desert Vipers Director of Cricket on Pakistan players’ inclusion for Season Four: “We have got a good relationship with Pakistan cricketers and there is no mistaking their talent. And if we can build our squad with two or three Pakistan players, we certainly will do, because they bring so much both on and off the field.”
Dubai, UAE (July 7, 2025) The Desert Vipers are pleased to announce a list of seven retained players and one direct signing for the fourth edition of the UAE’s DP World ILT20 tournament.
Captain Lockie Ferguson leads the roster of returning players, which also includes all-rounder Sam Curran and Sri Lanka’s spin maestro Wanindu Hasaranga, an ever-present for the Vipers across the history of the tournament. The list is as follows:
Retained players:
Lockie Ferguson (ENG)
Wanindu Hasaranga (SL)
Sam Curran (ENG)
Max Holden (ENG)
Dan Lawrence (ENG)
David Payne (ENG)
Khuzaima bin Tanveer (UAE)
Direct Signing:
Andries Gous (USA)
Director of Cricket Tom Moody welcomed the retained players on behalf of the Desert Vipers but also made it clear that although no Pakistani players featured in that retained list, they were certainly a part of the team’s wider strategy.
“Yes absolutely (we can expect Pakistani players to feature for the Vipers in season four),” he said. “I am sure now with an auction process that is happening in September, that we will see a few Pakistan players nominate for that auction.
“And we would be very keen to have a look at what talent is applying for that auction. We have got a good relationship with Pakistan and Pakistan cricketers and there is no mistaking their talent.
“If we can build our squad with two or three Pakistan players, we certainly will do, because they bring so much both on and off the field.”
Speaking about how the retained players were selected, the Director of Cricket said it was not easy to pick and choose: “We have built a long association with a core group in the first three years of the ILT20 and, we pride ourselves on trying to have that continuity and consistency with our playing group, but to be restricted to eight players was a challenge.”
Tom Moody did confirm that Lockie Ferguson was being retained as captain of the team, as the management felt he was a huge success in season three and had impressed with his game awareness and player-management both on and off the field.
“We knew going into season three and even going into season four, that with Lockie, there was a strong chance he was not going to be able to play every game (because of injuries or the need to rest),” he said.
“We pride ourselves on having a squad that can accommodate the rotation of our fast bowlers, particularly ones that have got a history of picking up a niggle here or there. But Lockie’s leadership last season was brilliant.
“His connection with the players was second to none, as was his understanding of the game – after all, he has been around a long time.
“The players certainly embraced Lockie’s leadership style. And he did not let us down one little bit, both on and off the field.”
Also retained is all-rounder Sam Curran, who was chosen as player of the tournament in season three of the DP World ILT20 for his consistent performances with the bat and ball.
Curran was an easy pick, said Tom Moody, with the duo having a long and successful working relationship across continents and leagues.
“Sam is a complete player and we are delighted to have him back with the franchise because he brings so many good qualities, whether it be leadership, his all-round talent on the field or his real competitive spirit out in the middle.
“Sam is a winner. He has got that real hunger in him and people around him only become better with his presence. Those players are pretty rare.
“He is a great fit in our dressing room and in our team room because he just adds so much value.”
Curran is in fabulous form and has just come off the back of a first-class hundred for his county side, Surrey in England. Tom Moody said there was a chance the Vipers could lose his services if the player was called up for national duty during The Ashes series in Australia from November 2025 to January 2026, and that was something the franchise was aware of.
“Yes, that is a possibility,” he said. “It is with any player that you recruit at an early stage, not knowing what the next six months are going to look like.
“I would be delighted for him that he manages to break back into that England set up because that is his desire. That is his ambition. And if we can help in any way whatsoever, we would be delighted to be part of that journey.
But, at the moment, Sam is very much focused on just delivering in every opportunity that he gets and that suits us just fine.”
A standout UAE performer for the Vipers in the season gone by was fast bowler Khuzaima bin Tanveer who took seven wickets, including a crucial match-winning 4-22 on debut against the Sharjah Warriorz.
Tom Moody was happy to sing his praises as the one UAE player retained by the Vipers ahead of season four.
“(Khuzaima is) Superb. He is quick, he is strong, he has got skills where he can swing the ball, he has got changes of pace, he has got a yorker, he has got a bouncer, he has got all the tools.
“For him, (last season), it was down to getting an opportunity. Firstly, that was about getting signed by a franchise, but then getting in the playing eleven and having an impact, which he certainly did.”
Tom Moody added that the Desert Vipers were not worried that Khuzaima was now a known quantity and opposition teams would now build strategies to counter him.
“From the experience that we have had working with him, Khuzaima is someone that does not sit still,” he said. “
“He is someone that is desperate to continue to evolve and improve in his game. He is an elite professional with regards to how he looks after himself physically and also with his preparation.
“We will support him in all those aspects to make sure that he feels that he is ready to take on any challenge if teams have come up with any different strategies to try to deal with him.”
Following their discovery of local talent in the UAE like Khuzaima bin Tanveer, the Desert Vipers Director of Cricket said the impact of three years of the DP World ILT20 in the UAE was comparable to the early impact of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India – with a marked rise in the standard of cricket locally.
“We have seen a huge uptick in standard from the local UAE players to the point where it has been quite heartwarming to watch the development of a lot of young players right under your feet, particularly when you spend the time with those players.
“There is no doubt the ILT20 has made a significant difference to not only the focus of cricket in the UAE, but also it has given young players a chance to strive for an opportunity in this league.
“It is obviously hugely rewarding in many different ways. And you can see that the importance of developing players in the region is absolutely paramount. And the ILT20 has been an enormous help to the players to have a focus and to be exposed to all those international players.
“We saw a similar thing happen many, many years ago, in a different circumstance, with the IPL, with young Indian players being exposed to international coaches, international players, and also their own international domestic players that were part of the league. And it just accelerates the next generation like nothing else.”
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