NEW DELHI: Fresh off an extraordinary domestic season in England, David Payne, the left-arm swing and seam sensation, is poised to make his mark with the Desert Vipers in the upcoming ILT20.
For Payne, the tournament isn’t just about team success; it’s a critical platform to reignite his international career.
Speaking on the Vipers Voices podcast, Payne shared his ambitions: “The ILT20 is the perfect stage for me to keep pushing my case (to play for England). The standard of this competition is such that if I can perform well, it will be my way of knocking on the door for England and saying, ‘I am still here.’ It is the perfect showcase to try and get my name back in the fold.”
Payne’s impressive run in the 2024 T20 Blast led Gloucestershire to a remarkable title win.
His haul of 33 wickets in 17 matches was instrumental in their success. Reflecting on this milestone, he said, “It was a pretty special summer for myself and the team and I put a large part of it down to it being the first summer that I was purely just a white-ball player. Previous to that I played all formats and it takes a lot out of you. Normally going into the Blast season I would have played six or seven red-ball games, bowled hundreds of overs and been pretty fatigued already from the first couple of months of the season.
“Being able to go into the Blast campaign feeling really fresh and motivated really did, I think, play a huge part in the success that I had. My body and my mind were a lot fresher. I think it was the first time I entered a Blast campaign being able to give it absolutely 100 per cent of my ability. I was in a great mindset and physical space and everything clicked.”
His performances in the Blast catapulted him to third on the all-time wicket-takers list for the tournament, with 193 scalps.
“That stat kind of crept up on me last season,” he admitted. “It is something I am very proud of. My focus has always been on evolving as a bowler because staying ahead in the cat-and-mouse game with batters is crucial.”
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Having honed his skills in the Abu Dhabi T10, Payne is confident in adapting to UAE pitches. “The T10 was a great warm-up, a great introduction to the ILT20 for me,” he noted. “To see the conditions in Abu Dhabi was incredibly useful. The pitches were good, pretty batter-friendly, and it has given me a lot of learnings to take into January.”
Payne is optimistic about the Desert Vipers’ prospects. “(With the Desert Vipers) I would be amazed if we were not up there and challenging for the title this season. I love the bowling group we have got together and I love the fact we have gone left-arm heavy as I think that is going to be such a point of difference. It is attacking and something batters will not have faced too much of,” he added.
“I also think we have such a strong breadth of batting in terms of covering all bases with power and with touch. I just think it is a well-rounded squad that in my eyes should really be competing for the title.”
The Vipers kick off their campaign against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on day two (January 12) of the tournament, and Payne is ready to spearhead their charge—and potentially his England comeback.
