The Desert Vipers congratulate Ben Duckett for his recall to the England One-Day International (ODI) squad for the three-match series in South Africa.

Ben’s selection for matches in Bloemfontein (27 and 29 January) and Kimberley (1 February), his first time in the ODI squad since 2016, means he will miss the inaugural ILT20, and while the Vipers squad will miss his presence, it is a proud moment for the team as well.

CEO Phil Oliver said: “We are very pleased for Ben Duckett, and we wish him the very best for the series in South Africa. We look forward to having him in our ranks for season two.”

Director of Cricket Tom Moody said that while it was disappointing to lose a player of Ben’s ability, the situation was one the Desert Vipers were well prepared for.

“You have to be nimble in these situations,” he said. “It certainly can be a challenge for us all to be creative, to be nimble and to be ready to have the options available to us when the unexpected does arise.

“The coaches, managers and fans of the Desert Vipers might be writing down what a preferred eleven might be for the first match, but I can assure you that preferred eleven will change between now and the first game as that is the nature of franchise cricket.

“There are things that do crop up that are unexpected, whether that be injury or unavailability due to selection with the national set up, an illness – it could be anything –and that is why it is important to have depth in your squad.

“We are fortunate to have a great relationship with CricViz who can present us with a series of alternatives for any one of our squad members.

“In Ben’s absence we have Dinesh Chandimal, who can bat anywhere in the order and can keep wicket. That is why we say it is a squad that wins a championship and not an individual.”

About the Desert Vipers

Owned by Lancer Capital, The Desert Vipers team is one of six to compete at the inaugural ICC-sanctioned ILT20 tournament to be held in the UAE in January-February 2023. Cricket Director Tom Moody and Head Coach James Foster lead operations in the star-studded Desert Vipers camp, which includes players like Sam Billings, Wanindu Hasaranga, Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Tom Curran, and Sheldon Cottrell. Other key staffing appointments include Azhar Mahmood (fast bowling coach), Carl Crowe (spin bowling coach), Simon Helmot (fielding coach), and Neil McKenzie (batting coach).

For more information please contact:

Brian Murgatroyd & Roshni Jayakrishnan: media@thedesertvipers.com