Desert Vipers have lost Shimron Hetmyer for the rest of the ILT20 after the left-hander tweaked a hamstring against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders earlier in the week. The franchise has turned to Jason Roy, the former England opener, to plug the gap.
Hetmyer featured in all seven outings so far but never quite got going: 111 runs from six knocks, average 18.50, strike-rate 160.86. The one innings that hinted at something bigger was a 48 off 25 balls against the Knight Riders on 5 December. The injury, picked up in the same fixture, has ended any chance of a late surge.
Roy arrives off a short stint in Nepal’s Premier League where he made 68 runs in three games for Pokhara Avengers. Before that he captained Royal Champs in the Abu Dhabi T10. He also knows this tournament: two matches for ADKR in 2024, then 12 more for Sharjah Warriorz last season, finishing with 298 runs at 29.80.
Vipers’ director of cricket Tom Moody admitted the loss of Hetmyer stings, yet sounded upbeat about the replacement. “We are extremely disappointed to lose a player of Shimron’s quality and experience as he has played a positive role in our squad this season, but securing someone of Jason’s pedigree and experience certainly softens that blow,” he said. “Jason ticks all the boxes for us. He knows the format inside-out, he is a versatile batter who can go through the gears, he provides us options up and down the order, he has been playing recently and he has experience in the ILT20.”
The table makes pleasant reading for Vipers: six wins from seven, the only blemish that one-run reverse to ADKR. Sunday evening brings Sharjah Warriorz in Dubai, and Roy has already checked in.
From a tactical angle, Roy’s inclusion gives the side a second recognised power-play aggressor alongside Alex Hales. It may also free up Sam Curran – used as a floating hitter – to hold back in case of an early wobble. The bowling, spearheaded by Shaheen Afridi and Wanindu Hasaranga, remains unchanged.
Unfortunate news for Hetmyer, a handy replacement for Vipers, and another chance for Roy to remind people what he can still do at the top of an innings.
