Vipers Voices – Details, episodes & analysis

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In this episode we speak with Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody, the first part of a two-part chat ahead of season three of the DP World ILT20. 

Tom talks with us about, amongst other things, the Vipers’ fixtures for the new campaign, he reflects on the lessons learned from season two, and he speaks about the captaincy and the two UAE players the Vipers have picked up in the player draft that took place on Wednesday the 4th of December – off-spinning all-rounder Dhruv Parashar and fast bowler Khuzaima Bin Tanveer.

The acquisition of Dhruv and Khuzaima means the Vipers have now completed their roster for the season and it’s another indicator that we’ve getting closer to the first ball of season three.

The Vipers begin their quest for the silverware on day two of the tournament, away to the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi on the 12th of January.

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In this episode we speak with one of the Vipers’ new recruits, the English top-order batter Max Holden, who plays his cricket for county side Middlesex and for the Manchester Originals in the men’s Hundred.

A former England under-19 player, Max tells us all about his background and also talks about his excitement at joining the franchise in a wide-ranging chat that’s coming up shortly.

Max may be one of the Vipers’ new faces for season three but he’s not new to the DP World ILT20 having played for the Dubai Capitals in season two.

Max tells us all about that experience in our conversation, as well as his development as a player and what it’s been like for him to play alongside two of the game’s best white-ball batters, Jos Buttler and Phil Salt, for the Manchester Originals.

He also lets us know how he’s been preparing for the upcoming season and reveals who, out of the Vipers roster, he’s most looking forward to lining up alongside once the action gets underway.

It’s a terrific chat and well worth your time…

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This is a very special episode of Vipers Voices. It's special because It was recorded on the day the Desert Vipers joined forces with the Dubai Sports Council.

Dubai Sports Council is the official body responsible for the development of the sports sector in the Emirate.

And in a ground-breaking partnership, Dubai Sports Council has become the Lead Partner in the Desert Vipers’ Sustainability Programme.

The announcement was made at the offices of the Dubai Sports Council in Dubai’s Design District in the presence of its Secretary General His Excellency Saaed Hareb as well as the Desert Vipers Owner Avram Glazer, Chief Executive Officer Phil Oliver, Director of Cricket Tom Moody and captain Colin Munro.

We hear from Colin, who talks about the partnership as well as looking back at the narrow defeat to Dubai Capitals and forward to the now-crucial game against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday February the 3rd.

That match is the Vipers’ Sustainability Match, where the players will be wearing green kit, fans are being asked to attend dressed in green and are also be invited to bring in old and used sportswear which can then be recycled and upcycled in keeping with the Vipers commitment to sustainability and the environment.

We hear, too, from Tom Moody, who speaks about Shaheen Shah Afridi after the Pakistan Twenty20 International captain signed off for this season with that match against the Capitals.

Tom talks about Shaheen’s influence on and off the field and how the Vipers will deal with his absence.

So, plenty of chat – as ever – on this episode, but before we get into that, just a quick reminder that if you’d like to attend the Sustainability Match or any of the Vipers games this season, you can do so by picking up a ticket either at the league’s website – www.ilt20.ae – or at any Virgin megastore across the UAE.

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This time we reflect upon the side’s sixth match of the second edition of the tournament and it’s a match that ended in defeat for the Vipers – a four-wicket loss at the hands of David Warner’s Dubai Capitals, off the final ball of the match.

Coming up we hear from Director of Cricket Tom Moody, who offers us his perspective on the narrow reverse and we also get the thoughts of UAE all-rounder Rohan Mustafa, who scored 50 as opener and took a wicket with his off-spin.

There are four more group games left for the Vipers to secure a spot in the play-offs that follow the league stage of the competition, starting with a match against the Gulf Giants, a repeat of last year’s final. It’s the game that’s been designated the Vipers’ Sustainability Match and it takes place at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday February the 3rd.

If you want to attend the match then obtaining a ticket could not be easier. You can do so via the league’s own website – www.ilt20.ae – or at any Virgin Megastore across the UAE.

And if you are coming along then make sure you wear green and also bring with you an old or unwanted item of sportswear; the Vipers will swap it for a green shirt and also recycle or upcycle what you bring along, all part of the franchise’s sustainability strategy.

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In this episode we look back at the dramatic victory over MI Emirates, forward to the next match, against the Dubai Capitals, and also assess how the team is doing at the halfway point of the group stage, all in the company of captain Colin Munro.

Colin offers his usual fair and honest appraisal of his own and his side’s performances in the tournament so far and, as ever, it’s an interview you won’t want to miss.

 
Colin also talks about his and Shadab Khan's Spirit of Cricket gesture during the match against Sharjah Warriors after they withdrew their appeal for run-out against Sharjah batter Martin Guptill.

After the last-ball success against MI Emirates, you won’t want to miss the next Vipers match, against David Warner’s Dubai Capitals, or any Vipers match in the tournament for that matter. And getting hold of tickets for the action couldn’t be easier. You can do so via the ILT20 website – www.ilt20.ae – or at any Virgin Megastore in the UAE.

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It’s a happy podcast this time as we have reaction after the Vipers' second win of this season's DP World ILT20, one secured by the narrowest of margins - by two wickets off the final ball in an absolute thriller against MI Emirates at the Dubai International Stadium.

We hear from head coach James Foster and also UAE all-rounder Ali Naseer, who took a game-changing catch to dismiss MI Emirates captain Nicholas Pooran.

The result lifts the Vipers off the bottom of the table but it really couldn’t be any closer at the halfway point of the group stage as the team is one of four sides on the same number of points – four, with Sharjah warriors on six and Mi Emirates on eight. It really does mean it’s all to play for with finals spots very much up for grabs.

This was undoubtedly the match of the tournament and if you’d like to sample some Vipers excitement first-hand then it couldn’t be easier to do so. You can get your tickets at the ILT20 website – www.ilt20.ae and at any Virgin Megastore across the UAE, with the Vipers next match is against the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday February the 1st.

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It’s time to hear from the Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver as we build up to the franchise’s Sustainability Match, against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday February the 3rd.

The match is a first for the Vipers and for the DP World ILT20 as it’s been put in place to highlight all that the Vipers are doing to raise awareness of the issues of sustainability and, more broadly, the climate crisis.

There’ll be a whole range of activities and initiatives around the day and Phil tells us all about them in this interview.

First and foremost, the plan is to turn the stadium green, literally and metaphorically, on the day, with recycling, upcycling and activities highlighting sustainability inside and outside the venue.

Fans are also going to be given green shirts to wear, the Vipers will be playing in green, and people can also bring in their old and unwanted sports kit so that they can be put to good use by those who need them.

And if you fancy getting involved in the day by attending the match – or any Vipers match this season, for that matter – it couldn’t be easier to get hold of tickets. You can do so by visiting the ILT20 website – www.ilt20.ae – or going to any Virgin Megastore across the UAE.

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In this episode we reflect upon the match against the Sharjah Warriors at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a game that saw the Vipers slip to a third defeat in four this season, going down narrowly by seven runs.

We hear from Luke Wood, who picked up three wickets in his first outing of the campaign and there’s also reaction from top-scorer Alex Hales, who’s 61 from 40 balls wasn’t quite enough to get the side over the line.

The result leaves the Vipers bottom of the six-team table but with six matches still to play and just two points between sides six to two there’s still plenty to play for with finals spots up for grabs.

And the Vipers have the chance to put their tough start to the tournament behind them starting on Tuesday the 30th of January when the side is next in action, against MI Emirates at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday the 30th of January.

And remember tickets are available for that match and all that the Vipers are set to play. You can buy them at the ILT20 website – www.ilt20.ae and at any Virgin Megastore across the UAE.

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In this episode, we look back on the side’s third match of the tournament, against the Abu Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi.

The Knight Riders repeated the result of the previous meeting between the two sides six days earlier by winning by six wickets, this time with 14 balls to spare.

We hear from Vipers batter Sherfane Rutherford, who made 28 from 21 balls, and also fast bowling coach Azhar Mahmood. Both were frustrated at the result and the performance but know there’s no point in dwelling on it given the matches are coming thick and fast now with another clash just 24 hours after the Knight Riders match, against the Sharjah Warriors in Sharjah.

And if you want to catch any of the Vipers matches live then buying tickets couldn’t be easier. You can do so via the league’s website, www.ilt20.ae and also at any Virgin Megastore in the UAE.

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It’s time to look forward to the next match on the Vipers’ schedule, the match against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday afternoon.

And to that, we are in the company of head coach James Foster.

We chatted with James on Thursday and in a wide-ranging conversation he not only looked ahead to that match against the Knight Riders, a repeat of the side’s opening game of the season, but also back to the victory over the Gulf Giants and plenty more besides.

James talks about the impact of the arrival of the Pakistan players – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan – on the squad, the role of the toss and the impact of the super sub rule on the tournament.

There’s plenty of meat on the bone there and it’s an interview you won’t want to miss.

And remember you can buy your tickets for all Vipers matches, starting with that match against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, at the ILT20 website and also at all Virgin Megastores across the UAE.

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