“You can call me the power play man” – Kyle Mayers believes West Indian players will play major role for Vipers in Guyana

West Indies batting-allrounder Kyle Mayers believes the Desert Vipers have got a fantastic Caribbean contingent for the upcoming ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL).

Mayers, from Barbados, is one of four local players who have been recruited to represent the Vipers in the July tournament, the others being Trinidad and Tobago left-arm spinning allrounder Khary Pierre, left-arm fast bowler Ramon Simmonds and 19-year-old batting sensation Zachary Carter, with Simmonds and Carter, like Mayers, also hailing from Barbados.

Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, Mayers said the West Indian players’ local knowledge of conditions would be a huge asset to the Vipers. Mayers himself was part of the Rangpur Riders of Bangladesh in the 2025 edition of the GSL, and said that experience was significant.

“Playing cricket in Guyana could be very tricky. It was tough for some of the foreign players. And it is a short tournament, so there is not much time to get acquainted with conditions and play a few games to see how the conditions are. So, it is (about) hit(ting) the ground running. “I think that playing with them (Rangpur Riders) last season was a great experience. I got to see how the competition goes. I got to play against the strongest side, too, which is Guyana (Amazon Warriors). Guyana always put up a very good team and the support there is unreal. So playing against them was a great experience just to see how this tournament is evolving.”

Mayers has played 18 Tests, 28 One-Day Internationals(ODIs)and 41 Twenty20 Internationals(T20Is) for the West Indies, and while he has not played Tests or ODIs for the West Indies since 2023, he remains in the wider T20I pool.

In addition to his international quality, the left-handed batter and right-arm medium-pacer will bring an abundance of franchise experience to the Vipers table having played in the Pakistan Super League, the Bangladesh Premier League, the Indian Premier League, the SA20 in South Africa, the T20 Blast in England and Wales, and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and he said he could not wait to help the Vipers succeed.

“I guess this journey has helped me gain a wealth of experience,” he said. “I am always happy to share, because I am that kind of person who likes to teach or share information. I think travelling and playing these tournaments, playing in different conditions, playing against so many players, that is a great thing and (I have) a great wealth of experience to share with the team. I am looking forward to doing that.”

As for his own strengths, Mayers was very clear about where he saw himself fitting in the Vipers line-up: “(My strength is in the) Powerplay (with) both bat and ball. I always like to take on the game from the start.

“Recently I have been moving around the order in different franchises, obviously to accommodate different players and different tactics and stuff like that. But I think my strengths, if you look at the statistics, are probably batting in the first three (positions); (that) is where I am at my best.

“Obviously bowling (with) the new ball too is where I am at my best to get the ball to shape around, especially in these Caribbean conditions that I grew up playing in. “I guess you can call me the powerplay man.”

Mayers also gave Vipers Voices the benefit of his knowledge concerning the three other Caribbean-based players joining the franchise. On experienced slow left-armer Khary Pierre, who has played in all three formats for the West Indies, Mayers said he was a force to be reckoned with.

“I think he (Khary Pierre) is one of those players who you look past very fast. It is sad because he always performs in local cricket. He has always been competitive in local tournaments, whether it be the CPL or the first-class tournament. He is a top performer in those. I think he is very underrated as well. “I would say (Khary Pierre is an) efficient player, gets his job done and is a very good fielder as well.

“He is quiet but should be a handful, especially in those conditions in Guyana (because) spinners always do well down there. He is a great character to have for the Vipers. “Also, he was picked up in the draft for Guyana too, so it would be a good start for him to get to play some games in his new home.

“Teams usually use him in the powerplay where he is very effective, but I think with his ability he is capable of bowling at any stage of the innings, I think he is a very smart bowler, but he is tricky. So, he is not that that typical left-arm spinner where he looks for spin and bounce and turn, he just operates (with) what he sees in front of him.

“I think at any stage he can be harmful, but teams use him in the powerplay because he bowls wicket to wicket very well. That is his speciality, controlling the powerplay and bowling tight overs.”

Mayers said Ramon Simmonds, the 24-year-old left-arm seam and swing bowler recently named as the Barbados franchise’s breakout player in the retention list for the upcoming CPL, had a great future ahead of him.

“I think he (Ramon Simmonds) is a bright spark coming through in West Indies cricket,” Mayers said. “He is a class bowler. I witnessed that while playing for the Barbados franchise in CPL. We had one year where I had to captain the team in the absence of David Miller and he was my go-to bowler, and he was the youngest, so it just goes to show. That was three years ago.

“He has been very good since then, despite being injured and coming back. He had a brilliant first-class season the year before this (in 2025). Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to play this season because of injury but I think he is one for the future.

“He is a unique kind of bowler, a wicket-taker, a fighter. I think he is one of those bowlers that people say (has) got the golden arm. I think he is one of those bowlers that anytime in the game (can) get it over the line. That is very crucial in the T20 game.”

Mayers said he had a close connection with 19-year-old Zachary Carter, a powerful hitter who excelled in the latest edition of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup for the West Indies. “He (Zachary Carter) is my club mate – we represent the same club back home, the Carlton Club, and he is a very exciting player.

“I saw Zachary one evening at club training. (He is a) big lad (and) I was expecting him to tell me that he was 25, but he actually told me he was 18. I was excited to see what he was capable of doing.

“He started off bowling some left-arm spin and then, when he went to bat, it was like this kid packs a punch. A few weeks afterwards, he ended up playing for the club team. He scored 80 runs in 30 balls in a 50-over game.

“He then ended up playing (against) us a few weeks afterwards. Some of the guys who played for my club have actually played first-class cricket and he beat us to a pulp. He scored 80 not out, off 40 balls.

“From there, everyone was just talking about Zach and his ability to hit the ball. He got the chance to represent Barbados in the Under-19s and then he got a chance to play for West Indies (Under-19 team) and he showed his ability and his capabilities to play cricket at a big stage and showcase his talent. “I think he is one for the future for sure. I think he will be a force to reckoned with, so I am looking forward to seeing him play senior cricket. I think he is capable of doing it.

“I know he is a very confident player too. He is looking forward to playing for his first franchise team (the Desert Vipers) so he does not keep quiet about it. He always talks to me about it and he is very excited to get to Guyana.”

Here is a list of players who will represent the Desert Vipers at the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League:

Chris Green (AUS) – Captain; Daryl Mitchell (NZ); Bevon Jacobs (NZ); Kyle Jamieson (NZ); Shadab Khan (PAK); Vriitya Aravind (UAE); Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (UAE); Matiullah Khan (UAE); Sanjay Pahal (UAE); Andries Gous (USA); Kyle Mayers (WI); Khary Pierre (WI); Ramon Simmonds (WI) and Zachary Carter (WI)