Vipers Voices

Brian Murgatroyd

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Cricket

This is the home of The Desert Vipers, the Twenty20 franchise side competing in the ILT20, the shortform tournament in the United Arab Emirates with its fourth edition in December 2025 and January 2026. For exclusive interviews and insight from the Desert Vipers camp, this is the place to be. This is Vipers Voices...

2 days ago

Vriitya Aravind on the heartbreaking loss to the Guyana Amazon Warriors!

Send us Fan Mail This time we look back at a heartbreaking two-wicket loss at the hands of the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, including a chat with one of the Vipers’ standout performers of the match, wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind. The Vipers set a record for the tournament by posting a score of 205 for six after being put into bat, with that batting effort anchored by Rilee Rossouw’s 61 from 48 balls, but the record score only lasted a couple of hours as the Warriors chased it down in the final over, coming back from a seemingly hopeless position thanks to a remarkable eighth wicket stand of 91 in seven overs between Mohammad Nabi and Romario Shepherd. It means the Vipers are now nought from two after their previous loss to the Lahore Qalandars and so nothing less than two wins from their final two group games, against the San Francisco Unicorns on Monday night and the Perth Scorchers 24 hours later, will do if the side is to give itself a chance of reaching the play-offs. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
3 days ago

Khary Pierre reflects on defeat to Lahore Qalandars in the Vipers' first match of the GSL!

Send us Fan Mail it’s time to recap on the first match for the side in the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League – a 38-run loss to the Lahore Qalandars. Coming up we hear from one of the stars of the day for the Vipers, left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, who was the pick of the attack with 2 for 14 from three overs. The Qalandars won an important toss, made 176 for four, with 67 coming from the final five overs, and then the Vipers responded with 138 for nine. There’s no time for the side to feel sorry for themselves as the matches come thick and fast in this competition and it’s just a little over a day before the Vipers are next in action – against the hosts and defending champions, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, under lights at what’s sure to be a packed, noisy and partisan Providence Stadium. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
4 days ago

Shadab Khan - the captain speaks on the eve of the Vipers' first match!

Send us Fan Mail On the eve of the Vipers’ first match in the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, against the Lahore Qalanders on Friday the 24th of July, we speak with captain Shadab Khan. Shadab talks us through the build-up, the possible selection permutations, the opposition, the role of the UAE players and the mood in the Vipers camp ahead of match one – and if you’re a Vipers fan then you’ll be left smiling at the end of our chat, such is his positivity. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
5 days ago

Head Coach Azhar Mahmood previews the opening match!

Send us Fan Mail As the clock ticks down to the start of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League and the Vipers’ first match of that tournament, against the Lahore Qalandars on Friday the 24th of July, this time we catch up with the side’s Head Coach Azhar Mahmood. Azhar talks to us about the squad coming together in Georgetown ahead of that first match, the challenges that have been thrown the way of the franchise with multiple player changes being forced upon it through injury and unavailability, and plenty more besides. It’s a chat that, as ever, is well worth your time. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
6 days ago

Andries Gous talks as the squad assembles for the Global Super League!

Send us Fan Mail With us just three days from the Vipers' first match of the upcoming ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, against the Lahore Qalandars, we speak with wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous. The fact we’re speaking with him in Georgetown, as the squad gets together in the tournament city, is one indicator of how close we are to the start of the tournament and given Andries has arrived off the back of a superb season in Major League Cricket in the USA there’s plenty for us to catch up about. It's also worth reminding you of the final Vipers squad for the Global Super League, as there have been several changes due to injury and unavailability since the line-up was first announced. So, the squad is: Shadab Khan, who is captain, taking over that role from the injured Chris Green Andries Gous Kyle Mayers Rilee Rossouw, the South African batter who’s taken Chris Green’s place in the squad Vitel Lawes, a West Indies under-19 batter, who has replaced New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell after Daryl suffered a hip injury during the One-Day International series against the West Indies that’s taking place immediately before the Global Super League Zachary Carter, another West Indies under-19 player Bevon Jacobs Vriitya Aravind Saiteja Mukkamalla, the USA wicketkeeper-batter who has replaced Khuzaima bin Tanveer, with the UAE fast bowler ruled out through national commitments Nathan Smith, the New Zealand bowling all-rounder, who’s replaced fellow Black Caps fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who himself replaced Australia left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff Sanjay Pahal Khary Pierre Ramon Simmonds and Matiullah Khan Matiullah, Vriitya and Sanjay are the three UAE players on duty in this tournament. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
16 Jul

Jack Luffman on the first year of the Desert Vipers Talent Pathway Programme!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we thought it would be interesting to just take a step back from the upcoming ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League and catch up on what’s happened over the past year with one of the Desert Vipers’ local, UAE initiatives, the franchise’s Talent Pathway Programme for young, up and coming boys and girls. Jack Luffman is the lead for the programme and coming up we speak with him about the operation, which wrapped up with the Apex Cricket Festival in the UK in late June and early July. Jack tells us about what makes the Vipers Talent Pathway Programme different from other coaching offerings in the UAE and he looks ahead to what the second year, starting in September, has in store. It’s a great insight into an area of the Vipers work that, while it doesn’t receive the same coverage as the headline-making performances in the DP World ILT20, is nevertheless a key building block for the franchise in its efforts to lay down long-term roots in the country and the region. The Vipers’ Talent Pathway Programme powered by Balqis Capital, was launched in September and October of 2025 and has been designed to identify, nurture and develop elite young cricketers in the UAE. It’s about scouting and selecting high-potential boys and girls at under-14, 16 and 19 levels and then providing them with top-level coaching, facilities and support systems, as well as analysis. There’s also game exposure of course, most recently exemplified by the Apex Cricket Festival in the UK, plus, ultimately, the chance to be part of what the Vipers hope will be a pathway of talent from the programme through to the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament, which is itself a feeder for UAE players to the senior squads that take place in the DP World ILT20. The programme is for girls and boys and the Vipers are hopeful that the role they’re playing with girls cricket means that whenever the ILT20 expands to include a women’s tournament, the Vipers have already created a pipeline and a route map for local talent to be part of the franchise. if you or a child of yours wants to be a part of the Talent Pathway Programme going forward then you can find out more information by contacting Jack at pathway@thedesertvipers.com or calling or messaging Jack on +971 50511 8526. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
14 Jul

Nathan Smith - the Vipers' advance party arrives in Guyana!

Send us Fan Mail This time we speak with new recruit Nathan Smith. The New Zealand fast bowling all-rounder has been drafted into the squad for the upcoming ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League following the withdrawal of fellow Black Caps player Kyle Jamieson, and he offers the Vipers a precious commodity – first-hand knowledge of conditions. That’s because Nathan is part of the New Zealand One-Day International squad that’s currently in action in Guyana for a series against the West Indies, and so he’s experiencing the same conditions at Providence Stadium that the Vipers will come up against when the Global Super League gets underway. Nathan comes into the Global Super League very much as a player on the rise in international cricket. He has arrived in the Caribbean off the back of a player of the series performance for New Zealand in their three-Test series against England, taking 16 wickets and also contributing handy runs in the lower-middle order. The GSL will be his first experience of franchise cricket, and during our chat he explains why that is, but he’s not short of T20 experience as, during the past two years, he’s appeared for first Worcestershire and then Surrey in the T20 Blast in England and Wales. He talks us through those two stints in county cricket and also discusses that England Test series which saw him operate with wicketkeeper Tom Blundell up at the stumps, an unusual situation for a bowler of Nathan’s pace. We discuss whether that approach, designed to keep batters in their crease and inhibit their movements, has any potential mileage in the GSL and we also discuss conditions in Guyana – the heat, the humidity, the dew factor and the potential for big crowds to be making lots of noise. Nathan explains how he thinks the Vipers can come together quickly as a unit to give themselves the best opportunity to be successful and he also gives us his thoughts on the two other New Zealand players in the squad – Bevon Jacobs and Daryl Mitchell, with Daryl coming into the GSL off the back of a fantastic, match-winning hundred in the deciding Test of the series against England at Trent Bridge, when he took numerous blows to the body but refused to back down. That will be the sort of attitude the Vipers will need to show to give themselves the best chance of success at Providence Stadium in Guyana. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com
6 Jul

Shadab Khan - the new Desert Vipers captain!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we catch up with the player who has just been confirmed as the Vipers’ captain for the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, Pakistan spin-bowling all-rounder Shadab Khan. Shadab will lead the side for the GSL after Chris Green, the player originally named as captain, had to pull out of the tournament with a hand injury. We speak with Shadab about his captaincy background, his leadership style and his role models, his superb form in the latest edition of the Pakistan Super League, and his experience of playing in the Caribbean and Guyana in particular, something that will be of vital importance for the upcoming action. He also talks us through the impact a recent shoulder surgery has had on him and the positive way it has affected his cricket. It’s another terrific conversation and it’s one you’ll definitely enjoy. https://www.thedesertvipers.com https://twitter.com/TheDesertVipers https://www.instagram.com/thedesertvipers/ https://balqiscapital.com

This is the home of The Desert Vipers, the Twenty20 franchise side competing in the ILT20, the shortform tournament in the United Arab Emirates with its fourth edition in December 2025 and January 2026. For exclusive interviews and insight from the Desert Vipers camp, this is the place to be. This is Vipers Voices...

Creator

Brian Murgatroyd
Years Active

2022 - 2026
Episodes

196
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Vipers Voices
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Vipers Voices