Some players set standards and records, and Guyanese batsman Sherfane Rutherford wants to be one of them, as he sets his sights on the inaugural season of the ILT20 in the UAE, starting in January 2023. There he would be lining up for the Desert Vipers.
The 24-year-old left-handed Rutherford is a well-oiled franchise cricket-playing machine, having successfully plied his trade across continents, be it the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Lanka Premier League, or the Bangladesh Premier League.
Discipline and hard work are at the core of his approach, and as a member of two T20 tournament-winning teams, in the PSL and the CPL, this is a man who knows what it takes to be victorious.
Rutherford was also a member of the championship winning Mumbai Indians team. Add to that his extensive UAE playing experience, most recently for the Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament alongside fellow Desert Vipers player Adam Lyth, and it is clear Sherfane Rutherford will undoubtedly be a valuable member of the Desert Vipers squad.
Rutherford disclosed on how his joining the Desert Vipers came about: “My agent called me saying he had something interesting. He told me about the T20 tournament in the UAE and I said ‘Yes, you can put me up.’ I am excited to see what this new opportunity will offer, and hopefully I can give it my best.
“To win a tournament, firstly, as a team you need everyone to gel well. I think one of the key factors to winning a tournament is when everyone works together. Even if we are losing, we all have to stay together and show character. In the end, it comes (down) to hard work and the team that puts in most work and stays disciplined. I think winning a tournament comes when you do the basics right and you stay in the game longer than the other teams,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford had this to say on the appeal of the UAE’s ILT20 league over other T20 tournaments in Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa: “UAE is a place I love. Since I came here the first time, I have always imagined coming back and playing cricket here. So, when I heard about the opportunity, I said ‘Yes, I really want to come here, it does not matter how long it is, I just want to be in the UAE, the pitches here are nice and it is beautiful to play cricket here’.”
The Guyanese is also aiming to return to the West Indies side, for which he has not played since January 2020.
“Definitely! It started with the CPL, and I know these tournaments will help me. If I put in some good performances, I can play international cricket and represent the West Indies. Hopefully, with some good performances (in the ILT20 and such leagues), I can be back in the (WI) team, and stay there,” he said.
The league will begin on January 13 and run until the final on 12 February. The competition will involve six teams, being Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, Desert Vipers, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriors. (Brandon Corlette)