Dubai, UAE ( September 18, 2023) –There may still be almost four months to go until the second edition of the DP World ILT20 gets underway, but Desert Vipers Head Coach James Foster is already getting excited at the side’s prospects for the new season.
Foster helmed the squad that finished as runners-up in the inaugural tournament in January and February 2023, and reflecting on that experience as well as looking forward to the squad coming together again, he told the Vipers Voices podcast: “I know we just missed out last year, but our ambition is to go that one step further next time.
“We are absolutely delighted with the squad we have assembled this season, and we believe we have another great chance of potentially winning the competition.”
Former England wicketkeeper Foster, who is all set to head off to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India as part of the New Zealand backroom team following stints with Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League and the Northern Superchargers in the men’s Hundred earlier this year, said he was especially excited about the Vipers’ new additions from Pakistan.
And he also sang the praises of the squad’s other new recruits – Worcestershire and Northern Superchargers batter Adam Hose, Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede and Scotland top-order batter Michael Jones.
“Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan are three wonderful Pakistan players, match winners and it is an absolute joy to have them in our squad,” said Foster.
“I have worked with Adam Hose in The Hundred as part of the Northern Superchargers. He is a star and a very flexible batter in terms of the positions in which he can bat. He has touch as well as a lot of power which is quite unusual in this day and age, to have that whole package. He is a 360 degrees contemporary player.
“Michael Jones and Bas de Leede are two Durham boys who have been doing well. Bas de Leede was with me in the Northern Superchargers as well, and he is a real talent.”
Foster also explained the recruitment process and how he worked in conjunction with Director of Cricket Tom Moody and Chief Executive Officer Phil Oliver assembling the blend they believe will ensure the side’s success next February.
“It was and is a collective way we went about it,” he said “We discussed whether we could improve with our squad, and while we were impressed with how our squad and how our players performed in season one, there was an opportunity to bring some special players on board and we took it.”
James Foster’s thoughts on the new players, as well as his reflections on the season gone by are below:
On Pakistan seam bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, and what he brings to the side:
“I don’t need to explain how good he is (but I will): he is a match winner, he takes wickets up front, he has raw pace and he has leadership qualities as well, which is very important in franchise cricket. Plus he has the ability to produce brilliant death bowling as well.
“Arguably he is one of the best seam bowlers in the world, so we are very lucky that he has joined us. He is also a very handy lower-order batter and I have seen him score a lot of crucial runs down the order in the last 12 to18 months.”
On Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan, and the prospect of him partnering with Wanindu Hasaranga in the spin department:
“He is an absolute gem. I have worked with him before and he is a really relaxed, fun and enjoyable cricketer. He seems to love life and he brings a lot of energy to the team. He is a good fielder, and he has leadership qualities, captaining the Islamabad side in the PSL (Pakistan Super league).
“The strength of our squad is really high, and it is a really exciting prospect of Shadab and Wanindu Hasaranga bowling together.”
On Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan:
“I am so excited for him to be on my side. I have been against him in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and he is always someone we have feared because of his power, his ability, his class, and his wicketkeeping, that all show he is a very talented cricketer.”
On the importance of having Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede and England batter Adam Hose in the squad, especially with respect to their ILT20 experience as Bas was with MI Emirates and Adam was at the Sharjah Warriors in season one:
“A lot of guys play cricket around the world, but to have actual experience of these conditions is vitally important. I think they are both stunning players. When they became available, the management were very keen to get them and I am delighted that they have joined us.”
On Scotland batter Michael Jones:
He is a top-order player, who will give us a lot of options in that area. It is building the strength of our squad. We have a very exciting batting and bowling line-up. In that first game we will have to make some difficult calls, but we have some quality there and I am absolutely delighted.”
On UAE players Rohan Mustafa and Ali Naseer being retained:
“I think they are both brilliant players. Ronnie (Rohan Mustafa) has been around for a long period of time and has played in quite a few franchise tournaments and he fits the bill for us in the role as our frontline off-spin bowler and we used him in an attacking opening position with the bat last season and I thought he did a phenomenal job. He brings a lot of character and flair into the group, and he is a brilliant fielder, so it was a no-brainer (to retain him).
“Ali is a young and talented player and he worked very hard with Azhar Mahmood in the nets. Yes, he did not get a huge amount of opportunities to showcase that in the middle but he was excellent around the group. We have got a lot of high hopes for him. He is a real talent with both the bat and ball, and it is really great to see him having an impact for the UAE. He made his (One-Day International and Twenty20 International) debuts, and he has been doing a wonderful job for them.”
On having to release some players such as Sam Billings, Mark Watt and Jake Lintott who have then moved to other franchises:
“They are all excellent players, and I am delighted to see they have been picked up by other franchises, and no surprises there. Sometimes you have to shuffle the pack to bring in new players. Unfortunately, we have had to let go a few players. But this is the nature of the beast and franchise cricket.”
On Colin Munro as captain:
“I am a huge fan of Colin Munro and I love the way he went about his business (last season). I think he was extremely conscientious about all the players and has a really good touch and I thought he flourished last year. It is not easy, captaining, because T20 cricket is a fast-paced game.
“I am delighted about the job he did, and his (current) form. He has been doing really well, in the T20 Blast, The Hundred and now the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). He has a lot of experience, and he was a brilliant leader to have around.
“It was a busy season last year (in the ILT20) with a lot of cricket in a small space of time, but he was still coming down to all of our practice sessions, even though all our trainings were optional, and getting a lot of contact time with the players. That is just the measure of the man. It was about spending that time with the players and touching base and talking about nothing specific or about something specific.
“I thought he did a wonderful job, and I am delighted again to be able to build on our partnership and see him flourish again this season.”
Reflections on the Desert Viper’s first season, and whether the loss of Sherfane Rutherford to injury ahead of the final was an important factor in eventually losing out to the Gulf Giants:
“I thought we had a brilliant campaign both on and off the pitch. I thought the team gelled really well and we played some brilliant cricket. There were some very good sides we came up against and we were in a very good position, after we qualified straight through to the final, but unfortunately we just missed out on the final.
“Yes, it would have been great to have Sherfane (Rutherford) for the final. He is a world-class player, and you just have to look at what he did, in (what was) effectively the semi-final. He was phenomenal. It was a brilliant campaign, it is all about performing on the day, (especially) in T20 cricket, and unfortunately the Gulf Giants were just too good for us on the day.”
On learnings from season one of the DP World ILT20:
“It was a brilliant competition, and the standard was really high. It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in the first season for the Desert Vipers. We worked really hard in the construction of a really good side, and we spent a lot of time planning before the season started.
“It was interesting to see how much the ball swung, which is quite unusual in the modern white-ball game. Apart from that, everything else was as expected. Sometimes there would be dew, sometimes a lot of it, sometimes not much; the modern-day players are used to that playing in the UAE.”
On how the assignment with New Zealand Cricket, for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup came about:
“It came about when I was India for the IPL, and New Zealand were looking for an extra pair of hands for the World Cup. The opportunity came my way and I put my hand up. I have always been an admirer of the Black Caps and the way they have performed over many years. I have worked with various New Zealanders in franchise tournaments, and I have played with a handful of them back in the day, and I am just fascinated by their culture and how they go about their business. So, it is an absolute honour to be a part of their setup.”
The second edition of the ILT20 is scheduled to start in January 2024. The Desert Vipers finished as runners-up in the inaugural edition of the tournament in January and February 2023.
Among the players the Desert Vipers have retained from that first edition are English opening batter Alex Hales, who scored the competition’s first-ever individual hundred and finished as its leading run-scorer, and Wanindu Hasaranga, the Sri Lanka wrist-spinner, the top wicket-taker in the past two editions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
