DUBAI: The Desert Vipers’ Pakistani contingent is now complete with pace maestro Shaheen Shah Afridi and wicketkeeper Azam Khan landing in Dubai early on Tuesday morning to join Shadab Khan and Mohammad Amir in the squad.
Speaking on the Vipers Voices podcast, Amir and Shadab Khan were clear on what attracted them to play in the DP World ILT20.
“I think this is the toughest competition, because in other leagues across the globe, you have more local players than international players,” said Shadab.
“But in this league, you have nine international players so this means, in reality, you are playing an international game. It is very difficult so, competition-wise, this is really tough and you are playing against the best of the world.”
Amir added: “As Shadab said there are nine international players competing against one another and it is fun for me and a learning process.
“You learn every single day and, in the days to come, this is going to be a tough competition. In this league you have to be on your toes, and there is no margin of error.”
Accomplished all-rounder Khan has arrived with one of the hot topics of the tournament so far being the use of the “Super Sub.”
Some observers have spoken about its introduction putting an end to all-rounders in the format as sides can now draft in an extra specialist with either bat or ball.
But Khan said he felt there was still space for the all-rounder in Twenty20 cricket and, if anything, it was the specialists who were in danger of being marginalized.
“As an allrounder you have three chances to perform, either as a batter, a bowler or a fielder,” he said. “So, I don’t think (the all-rounder is under threat).
“In fact, it is tougher on someone who is only a bowler or a batter.”
Amir added: “This is why I am working on my batting.”
Amir played in the side’s opener, the six-wicket loss to the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, which he feels is not that significant.
“It might sound funny, but I think at the start of a tournament it is good if you lose one or two matches, because you learn different things rather than if you keep winning, and then end up losing crucial games. If you lose and you learn from it then that is the most important.
“Also we have a great all-rounder now that Shadab is here, and Shaheen and Azam are here too, and now I feel our team is complete and it is going to be fun.”
Shadab joins a high-quality stable of spin talent at the Vipers and slots into a squad already boasting Sri Lanka’s T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga and UAE international Karthik Meiyappan.
The DP World ILT20 got underway in Sharjah on Friday, and the Desert Vipers’ next match is against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.
