English wicketkeeper determined to take second shot at pro game with Desert Vipers in ILT20

An English cricketer, who thought his chance in the professional game had gone over a decade ago, is eyeing a belated shot at top-flight cricket via the DP World International League T20.

Daniel Pawson aspired to represent Lancashire in county cricket as a wicketkeeper batter while growing up in the north west of the UK.

After playing for their age group sides, he made his last appearance for the county’s second XI in 2012, before drifting away from the first-class game.

Now, when time from his new job as a teacher in Dubai permits, he is attempting to advertise his skills to the selectors of the sides in the UAE’s T20 franchise league.

He is playing for Desert Vipers in the ILT20 Development Tournament. The competition places domestic players in the shop window for a place in the main event, which will return for its fourth season in December.

The six franchises in the ILT20 have an obligation to pick a minimum of four UAE-based players in their squads.

The players in the development event will then likely be focused on the outcome of the first ILT20 player auction, to be staged at the end of next month.

Pawson, 35, says he would be thrilled if he got his chance to play along the stars of the world game who come to play in the ILT20. For now, though, he is just delighted to be in contention.

“For me, playing professional sport, I thought that opportunity had gone,” Pawson said.

“This is brilliant for me. It is a fantastic opportunity, but I just want to enjoy this time.

“I know that my shelf life is coming to an end, so I am just going to enjoy the moment. If things happen, they happen, but I am not looking too far ahead.”

It is Pawson’s second season in the development event. He was involved with the Vipers last year after first becoming aware of them when the franchise gave his club side, Dubai Wanderers, tickets to attend matches during the first season.

“It seemed like a really good atmosphere around the Vipers,” he said. “Once I got picked for the draft last year and became involved, you could see from the top down, the franchise feels like a family.”

Players in the development tournament have to either be eligible to represent the UAE national team now, or signal their intention to do so in the future.

The Vipers have some of the brightest young talents in UAE cricket in their ranks, such as Tanish Suri, Ali Naseer and Nilansh Keswani.

Pawson might be on the other end of the cricketer's age scale to those players, but he said the idea of representing the country also motivates him.

“To play at international level is every kid’s dream,” he said. “It just so happens that right now the UAE is my country. It would be great to play, no matter what.”

Suri, the 20-year-old UAE player, has filled in as captain for the Vipers development team so far in the competition, but the role is officially that of Arron Lilley, a former county cricketer.

Lilley is perhaps unique among the players in the competition in that he is not targeting a contract to play in the main event.

“If [being selected for a contract] happens, I would love to be involved, but it is more a continuity thing from a franchise point of view,” Lilley said of his role as captain of the side.

“Having been involved in a coaching role previously, the management can trust me to help out in the captaincy role now.

“It is a development tournament for a reason. The younger lads coming through need to have a chance to shine. Hopefully they get to chance to show what they are all about.

“They know what I can offer, so I can help out with coaching and captaining.”

Lilley first moved to the UAE in 2022 after a playing career which took in stints with Lancashire and Leicestershire in county cricket.

The 34-year-old all-rounder could soon be eligible to represent the UAE via the ICC’s residency rules, and he also says that would appeal to him.

“I still love playing cricket,” Lilley said. “I am based in the UAE now, and will be for the foreseeable future, so if an opportunity did arise, then 100 per cent [I would take it].”

Having played the best part of 200 games in English county cricket, Lilley said he has been surprised by the quality of cricket played since he relocated to Dubai.

“I was shocked at the standard,” Lilley said. “The first game I played here was three years ago.

"The games are played at night because of the heat and I went into bat at 11.45pm, facing this left-arm seamer. I was confident, then the ball whizzed past my ears. The standard is really good.

“I was involved with coaching and the development side of the Vipers last year, and the amount of talent that is around is exceptional. There is a bright future for UAE cricket.”