Dan Lawrence rejoins ILT20 side Desert Vipers during England tour beak
Feb 09, 2024
New Delhi [India], February 9 : England have allowed Dan Lawrence to rejoin International League T20 side Desert Vipers while the Test series between India and the Three Lions squad is on a break in Abu Dhabi.
Lawrence was added to England's squad after Harry Brook decided to withdraw from the series due to personal reasons. The 26-year-old was the Vipers' wildcard signing and only played a single match for them before leaving for India.
With England currently touring India for a five-match Test series, Lawrence has been given permission to play two more games for the franchise and he could turn out to be a key player for them as the Vipers are still in contention to qualify for the knockout stage.
"We are delighted to welcome Dan back to the Vipers and it is something that makes perfect sense for everyone. The Vipers are getting a top-class player, someone who can affect the game with bat and ball who has already been part of the Vipers set-up, and someone who is craving match action," Tom Moody, Vipers director of cricket, said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
"For his part, Dan is getting the opportunity for some time in the middle and, when he returns to the England fold, they will have a player who will have benefited from playing after time on the sidelines during the ongoing Test series. We are extremely grateful to the England team for allowing Dan to rejoin us and grateful, too, for Dan's willingness to jump at the opportunity," Moody stated.
"In his short time with us at the start of the tournament, Dan was a terrific, positive influence both on and off the field and we look forward to him playing a part in pushing us towards the play-offs as the regular season draws to a close," Moody added.
The India-England series currently is on level terms with 1-1. Both teams will square off in the third Test in Rajkot on February 15. Before that Lawrence could feature in two matches as Vipers will face Dubai Capitals on Friday before they conclude their group-stage campaign.
They will face Sharjah Warriors in Abu Dhabi on Sunday which will be their final group game. In the table ranking, the Vipers are currently fifth two points behind the Warriors who sit in the fourth spot but after playing a game more.
