Dubai, UAE (January 12, 2023) – Desert Vipers Head Coach James Foster has been busy at work over the last six months, collaborating with Director of Cricket Tom Moody and CEO Phil Oliver to put together the best possible squad for the inaugural DP World ILT20.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, Foster described his journey and looked ahead to what promises to be an exciting first season for the Desert Vipers.
Foster said: “There has been such a big lead up into this tournament. Back in July I thought we were ages away, but now we are here, and I am absolutely delighted.
“I am fortunate that the support staff we have here are so experienced. It is a very exciting time and a huge opportunity for growth for me, and for the players, to be bouncing ideas off new people and adding to their own games.”
Along the way there have been various changes made to the Desert Vipers squad, and one star player – Ben Duckett – has been lost to the tournament due to national duty.
James Foster, though, is very pleased with the squad in place and said: “I think we have got a quality squad and the new additions have really strengthened the team.
“It is a shame that Ben Duckett could not be here, but his progression has been great to see. You select players as a franchise, and obviously you would love them to be here, but also, in the same breath, you have to be delighted that their game is continuing to grow, getting that England recognition, and playing all formats; hats off to Ben.”
Amongst the new additions is former Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal, and Foster is pleased to have him in the squad: “(Dinesh) Chandimal has come in, (and) what a performer he has been over the years; a great man, great experience and great leadership that comes with his package.
“We have got a squad of 20 and a lot of options to choose from. Among the UAE players, I have been involved with Ronny before (Rohan Mustafa) and with Sheraz (Ahmad) in the T10 and I am fully aware of their capabilities.”
Team selection is one of the key roles for Head Coach James Foster, and it will not be easy taking a call on who will open the innings, given the wealth of talent and experience available in that department, whether that is captain Colin Munro, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup hero Alex Hales, or Adam Lyth, who performed outstandingly for Yorkshire and the Northern Superchargers in the 2022 UK season.
Foster explained the process he intended to use to make those difficult calls when he said: “Myself, Colin Munro and Tom Moody will get together and start shaping up what we think is the right line-up for the first game.
“It is a great headache to have, and we have quality performers there. There is an opportunity that we could fit those guys all in (Adam Lyth, Colin Munro and Alex Hales). But again, you need to look at the balance, and the make-up of the side, and take a call from there.” Foster said.
Going in to the first game against Sharjah on Sunday, the Head Coach said he preferred focusing on his own team’s strengths.
“You have to remind your team and the players what their strengths are,” he said. “You cannot be too fixated on the opposition. At the same time, you have to do your planning and due diligence and (to) make sure we are fully aware and fully prepared. It is also about going out there and delivering your skill sets to the best of your ability.”
The Desert Vipers schedule is tightly packed during the tournament, playing 10 games across 21 days in the group stages, and it is likely to challenge even the most experienced of players.
When asked how the coaching team was approaching this schedule and preparing for it, James Foster answered: “It is down to us – the support staff – to get the balance of training and recovery right.
“I am a huge believer in players being mentally and physically fresh. We have experienced campaigners, and they will know if they need to train and have some days off. With the amount of cricket that we have, a lot of our fixtures are on-off, on-off, on.
“These guys have been around a long time, and they know what they are doing. In addition to that we have a huge squad so if we need to plug and play and if we need to rotate, we have got those options too.”
Most importantly though, James Foster said he was pleased with the excitement and buzz he has seen across the squad and the coaching staff, and he said he believed this is crucial to the success of the team.
“There is a really nice buzz around the group. The set-ups that we have, training at the ICC Academy and training at the JA Resort in Jebel Ali, are phenomenal.
“We are in Dubai, at a great hotel, so everyone is loving it. And we have an injection of new players, with those that have recently arrived, and they have brought that energy with them. All the guys are excited about starting, and everyone is ready to go and fully prepared.”
So, can the Desert Vipers win the DP World ILT20? “Hundred Percent!” is the reply from James Foster.
The Vipers Voices podcast features the full interview with James Foster and can be downloaded via this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/
A full transcript of the interviews can be found below:
James Foster on whether the reality of the fact the tournament is about to start has hit yet:
“I have been prepping for a long time, with Tom Moody (Director of Cricket) and Phil Oliver (CEO, Desert Vipers). A lot of preparation has gone into it, and it is great to be here. (Now it is) not long until it all kicks off. We have had half the group with us for the first four or five days, and it has been great to have them around and introduce them to Dubai. Now, the guys from the Big Bash League and the West Indies boys have arrived, we are pretty much at full capacity.”
James Foster on whether he feels ready for the DP World ILT20:
“Absolutely.”
James Foster on whether the team’s preparation will focus on their own skills or what the Sharjah Warriors can do:
“You have to remind your team and the players what their strengths are. You can’t be too fixated on the opposition. At the same time, you have to do your planning and due diligence and make sure we are fully aware and fully prepared. It is also about going out there and delivering your skill sets to the best of your ability.”
James Foster on how he feels about the changes and additions to the squad:
“I think we have got a quality squad and the new additions have really strengthened the team. It is a shame that Ben Duckett could not be here, but his progression has been great to see. You select players as a franchise, and obviously you would love them to be here, but also, in the same breath, you have to be delighted that their game is continuing to grow. Getting that England recognition and playing all formats, hats off to Ben.
“(Dinesh) Chandimal has come in (and) what a performer he has been over the years, (he is a) great man, (and has) great experience and great leadership that comes with his package. We have got a squad of 20 and a lot of options to choose from.
“With the UAE players, I have been involved with Ronny before (Rohan Mustafa) and with Sheraz (Ahmad) in the T10 and fully aware of their capabilities. I had not seen a lot of Ronak (Panoly), and Ali (Naseer) and I have been very impressed with what I have seen so far.”
James Foster on how the UAE players have fitted in to the wider group:
“Good (they have slotted into the wider group well). We have not had the full quota of players here and it has been quite nice to get them in a smaller set-up to begin with. We have had get-togethers and training sessions as well. They have fitted in absolutely perfectly.”
James Foster on whether all four or even three frontline spinners in the squad might play in the same side:
“Yes, absolutely (all four or even three spinners in the squad might get to play in the same side). As is the case with all these things (choosing the team), you do your preparations and you have a look at the opposition, and we have a look at the strengths that we have. Obviously, you need to get a balance with your side, but then you need to assess what the conditions are going to be like. Maybe they might change as the tournament goes along. Absolutely there is a chance that quite a lot of our spinners (Jake Lintott, Mark Watt, Rohan Mustafa, and Wanindu Hasaranga) can get to play (together).”
James Foster on whether the team will miss Wanindu Hasaranga at the start of the tournament:
“It looks like (Wanindu) Hasaranga is only going to miss the first game (because of international duty for Sri Lanka in India). We have got some quality spinners to fill in his position. We are absolutely thrilled with the spin stocks we have at the Desert Vipers – hundred percent. And when Hasaranga comes in there, obviously, it is not just his bowling, but also his batting. We have a full package there, with his fielding and leadership and experience, and it will be great to have him here when he arrives.”
James Foster on solving the problem of plenty at the top of the order:
“It is something that myself, Colin Munro and Tom Moody will (do, to) get together and start shaping up what we think is the right line up for the first game. It is a great headache to have, and we have quality performers there. There is an opportunity that we could fit those guys all in (Adam Lyth, Colin Munro and Alex Hales). But again, you need to look at the balance, and the make-up of the side, and take a call from there.”
James Foster on whether he and Colin Munro will pick the playing eleven:
“Yes, (Colin Munro and I) will pick the final eleven, along with inputs from Tom Moody and senior players and coaching staff whom we will lean on. But effectively it will come down to myself and Colin.”
James Foster on the reasons for picking Colin Munro as captain:
“We (Tom Moody and James Foster) looked down at the list and Colin really jumped out at me. Through various other franchise tournaments, I have always enjoyed conversations we have had around cricket. I feel he is one of the most experienced franchise cricketers we have out there. He has probably played in more teams than all of us put together. I feel it is a really good time in his career to be taking on this new challenge, which he is absolutely thrilled about.”
James Foster on whether it will be a disadvantage being the last team to start the tournament:
“I don’t think it is a disadvantage (being the last team to start the tournament). We have been well prepared we have a practice game coming up soon. There are pros and cons for starting at the beginning or the third game of the tournament. There is no problem about that from our side. “
James Foster on the busy tournament schedule, with 10 group matches in just 21 days:
“It is a challenge, but guys are fully aware, and the fixture lists have been out for some time. It is down to us – the support staff – to get the balance of training and recovery right. I am a huge believer in players being mentally and physically fresh. We have experienced campaigners, and they will know if they need to train and have some days off. With the amount of cricket that we have, a lot of our fixtures are on-off, on-off, on. These guys have been around a long time, and they know what they are doing. In addition to that we have a huge squad so if we need to plug and play and if we need to rotate, we have got those options too.”
James Foster on the mood in the squad:
“There is a really nice buzz around the group. The set-ups that we have, training at the ICC Academy and training at the JA Resort in Jebel Ali, are phenomenal. We are in Dubai, at a great hotel, so everyone is loving it. And we have an injection of new players, with those that have recently arrived, and they have brought that energy with them. All the guys are excited about starting, and everyone is ready to go and fully prepared.”
James Foster on how important the warm-up game will be:
“For me, with warm-up games, I just see it as an opportunity for the guys to come together. A lot of these guys would not have necessarily played together before. So, it is just about getting that understanding and feel on the field, (like) which people might be fielding in which positions. I would not read overly too much into the selection. Yes, we will be looking to play twelve, maybe thirteen, bit it is just a chance for the guys to get out there and play some cricket and come together as a side. It is a chance for Colin (Munro) to work with his bowlers and take it from there.”
James Foster on how he is feeling ahead of the tournament:
“I am just excited about it. There has been such a big lead-up into this tournament. Back in July I thought we were ages away, but now we are here, and I am absolutely delighted. The family came over for Christmas and they have gone back home to England now. I have been here for a while already. Guys are starting to come in, and I am just ready and excited. I am fortunate that the support staff we have here is so experienced. It is a very exciting time and a huge opportunity for growth for me, and for the players to be bouncing ideas off new people and adding to their own games.”
James Foster on whether he gets nervous, both as a player and a coach:
“As a player I liked to be relaxed, but no doubt there were nerves, I do not know many players who did not have nerves. As a coach, it is about the preparation you put in, and you do what you think is the right thing for the balance of your side, and (try to have an) understanding (of) the pulse of the group. And then it is down to them. What I love about coaching is that I almost get to live in their (players’) shoes in a way, because they are playing against quality opposition and they are quality players themselves, at great grounds with great surfaces and great stadiums. I absolutely love it. When I first got into coaching after I finished playing, it has always been such a buzz – sitting there and watching the game. And it is completely down to the players. Yes, you might have a few tactical thoughts, and who might go into bat at a particular point of time, passing on your advice to the skipper. But really for me it is about enjoying the opportunity.”
James Foster on how important the side’s start is:
“I have been in many sides where you get off to a flyer (and then) slowed down a bit, or you might lose the first game and then, all of a sudden, you get on a roll. You want to win every single game you play, but the reality is, is that always going to happen? Maybe not. It is just about accepting that there is a process in place, when you play the game, and hopefully if everything goes well, you win. Will you win every game? It doesn’t always happen like that. But it is about making sure we stay calm, and we keep trusting what we are doing and keep backing ourselves.”
James Foster on whether the team can win the DP World ILT20:
“Hundred percent.”
