News DeskDubai, UAE – The Desert Vipers have announced their squad for the upcoming ILT20 Development Tournament, which is set to run from August 24 to September 3 in Dubai. The fifteen-man squad, headlined by Tanish Suri, Ali Naseer, and Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, was selected from a pool of 350 UAE players during a draft held on Monday, August 18, at the Dubai International Stadium.
Jack Luffman, the Desert Vipers’ Development Lead, spearheaded the team’s selection process. Speaking about the new squad, he expressed his pride in how far fast bowler Khuzaima Bin Tanveer has come since being discovered at the Development Tournament last year. “We have managed to retain Khuzaima for the Development Tournament,” Luffman said, “and what is great is that he has already been retained by the first team for season four. I think he is the best pace bowler in the country by a fair margin.”
The squad features a mix of experienced and promising players. Arron Lilley, a former Leicestershire and Lancashire multi-format player now based in Dubai, will skipper the side. The team also includes:
- Tanish Suri (Wicketkeeper): A dynamic wicketkeeper-batter who represented the Vipers in season three of the DP World ILT20.
- Ali Naseer (All-Rounder): A young all-rounder who has spent three seasons with the Desert Vipers.
- Basil Hameed (Batter): An experienced batter with global franchise experience.
- Nilansh Keswani (Left-Arm Spin): A young left-arm spinner with international appearances.
- Mayank Mayank (Batter): A prolific top-order batter who scored heavily in last year’s tournament.
While fifteen leading UAE players will miss the tournament due to a T20I tri-series, Luffman believes this will only enhance the competition. “Some might say the quality will be reduced, but I just think that makes it even more competitive,” he stated. “That is because there are a lot more players who probably have not had the opportunity to play at this level previously.”
The tournament offers a crucial “shop window” for players to showcase their skills to the franchises. Luffman noted that the Vipers’ senior coaching team, including Head Coach James Foster, Director of Cricket Tom Moody, and CEO Phil Oliver, will be closely monitoring all the games.
In addition to the development squad, the Desert Vipers have also announced their retained players and direct signings for the upcoming season, which include:
- Retained Players: Lockie Ferguson (NZ), Wanindu Hasaranga (SL), Sam Curran (ENG), Max Holden (ENG), Dan Lawrence (ENG), David Payne (ENG), and Khuzaima bin Tanveer (UAE).
- Direct Signing: Andries Gous (USA).
- Wild Card Signing: Shimron Hetmyer (WI).
The Vipers’ sustainable line of clothing from PALMFIT is now available for fans to purchase from the franchise’s online shop.
