The Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver says that while players, staff and management are thrilled to have won Season 4 of the DP World ILT20, that has only made them hungrier for continued success going into Season 5.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, Phil Oliver reviewed Season 4 and the various areas of operations that he was most proud of in the wake of victory in last Sunday’s final against MI Emirates.
But he promised there would be no extended basking in tournament glory, with preparations for Season 5 already in the forefront of his mind.
“I actually had a conversation with some of the team this morning, that winning just energises you so much more, and you want to experience it again and again, of course,” said Phil Oliver.
“So yes, everyone has a little bit of a rest and a break, but I know everyone is looking forward to building for next season.
“And that work starts straight away, really, in terms of the squad and on and off the field preparations. We will take stock and go through things with our partners, suppliers, everyone involved with the franchise, all stakeholders, including people at the league, and start preparations for Season 5, because you do not want to rest on your laurels, particularly from such a position of strength.”
The final victory at the end of a record-breaking tournament that featured eight wins in the league stage was not to only good news for the Vipers.
Phil Oliver also confirmed that Director of Cricket Tom Moody, despite taking up an appointment with Lucknow Super Giants as Global Director, looking after teams across India, the UK and South Africa, will still remain involved with the Desert Vipers, as he has been since Season 1.
“He (Tom) will be back next season,” said Phil Oliver. “We know how committed he is to us. This victory has happened under Tom’s leadership from a cricket perspective, and I know he wants to keep doing it.
“It is no surprise that Tom has got that role (with Lucknow Super Giants as their global director). He very much deserves to be operating at the highest level in franchise cricket, and we are obviously pleased for him to have those other opportunities, but (for us) nothing changes.
“In fact he will be more involved than ever over the next few months as we continue to build and try and capitalise on what we have created so far, and really make something long-lasting in terms of a Desert Vipers dynasty or whatever we want to call it because we are hungry for more.
“We have seen what Tom has done at the Oval Invincibles in terms of long-term planning and so hopefully this is the start of a special run. So, I look forward to having Tom back with us very soon.”
Desert Vipers’ owner, Avram Glazer, was at the final cheering the team on, and he shared in the trophy celebrations as well. Phil Oliver said it reflected the team’s ethos to support one another.
“That is what it is all about – everyone enjoying the success of each other,” he said. “So, for him (Desert Vipers owner Avram Glazer) to be able to come across (to Dubai for the final) was a real commitment to our cause and he has been incredibly supportive of the playing group, the coaching group and all the staff.
“I would say that I do not think he thought it was a particularly unusual thing to do. He has been to all four seasons of DP World ILT 20. He was here earlier in the tournament, and he said at that point, he would not have missed the final for anything.
“So, it was no surprise to have him back and it was really nice to see him enjoying that moment on the stage with the players because it is very well deserved.”
A crucial element for any franchise team is their partners, and Phil Oliver told Vipers Voices that off the field support from the team’s sponsors was crucial to fulfilling the team’s potential on the field, while also allowing for greater engagement within the local community.
“We have got a fantastic group of partners and the fact that they want to activate with us, the fact that they are so well aligned to our outlook and commitments to things like sustainability and community make our job very much easier. We have had lots of tangible support throughout the tournament from those guys.
“I think McCone Properties, and Hemani, our two headwear partners, came to pretty much every match. Balqis Capital, who are on two kit positions, as well as partnering on our Talent Pathway (programme), were there throughout as well as Ellington Properties.
“These businesses have very strong credentials locally and the fact that they like what we are doing is a feather in the cap for us as a franchise. It shows we are doing the right thing and we are very excited about what we can do together.
“It is not just around the tournament, it is what we can do throughout the year in terms of giving back to communities, their own workforces and third-party workforces. We know cricket is such a powerful vehicle for social change, so the support of those partners is especially important to us.
“We had Carrefour and their Bright Bites campaign on our trousers. They are a key part of what we do in the Schools Programme, so these moments are very much for those partners.
“PalmFit as well (are important partners), through whom we are able to have our kit produced locally. We are well into a long-term partnership with them and we just keep going strength to strength with Palm Fit.
“They make tremendous quality attire for us, made from fifty percent recycled materials, but crucially made locally, so when players come in, we make a phone call and the kit is there within a day or two. These things do not happen by coincidence. They are strategic partners that we have aboard with us.
“BlueWater help us make sure that the players are well hydrated with special LED-fronted water units by the dugout and in the changing room, and in the team room at the hotel.
“It all fits in as part of the Desert Vipers operation. Raw Coffee Company – I must give a shout out to those guys too because the coffee club that we had every day throughout the tournament, two hours of fantastic coffee being served by two baristas who became part of the Vipers family, was fantastic. They came to watch the matches and I know they enjoyed supporting the team and this win is for them because it should not be underestimated just how much the players enjoyed having that coffee club, drinking good coffee and feeling that they could go to the matches and training well filled with Raw Coffee.”
The Desert Vipers CEO also gave a shout out to the JA Group, who have supported the team from Season 1 as the official team hotel, but are now expanding on that partnership across various levels, supporting the team’s sustainability programme as well as offering their new cricket facility for around-the-year use.
“It is our home away from home. We have been there (at JA Resorts) all four seasons of the tournament. We love staying there and have built some very special relationships,” said Phil Oliver.
“The fact that their new sports facility is nearing completion in terms, very near (JA Lakeview Hotel) where we stay is a game changer. The prospect of us being able to literally walk to training is very exciting.
“That is going to help us throughout the tournament but also between tournaments as well. We plan to host schools events, family fun days, cricket for workers and, of course, the Talent Pathway Programme itself. I think we know that those players deserve a really good location to train in.
“We are giving them (Talent Pathway Programme students) an opportunity to see what professional cricket involves and that means using fantastic facilities, and that is very much what JA has at their disposal.
“It is very exciting for them and for us and it is only going to help us prepare for Season 5 when we are able to have training camps of all levels, be it Desert Vipers first team players, development squad players, right down to the pathway group as well.
“It is really nice to have that as our base and we are very thankful for JA Resort for all the support they have given us over the four years.”
