Kieron Pollard: TKR is not a one-man team

AS his team prepares to face Barbados Royals in their final home match of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season from 8 pm at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) on September 27, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) skipper Kieron Pollard says his team's fortunes should not be solely dependent on the form of star batsman Nicholas Pooran.

The four-time champions TKR are fourth on the six-team table with ten points, registering five wins to go with three losses. The four teams for the playoffs have already been decided, but Pollard said TKR are still keen on securing a top-two spot which will see them contest the first qualifier match at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

After playing the Royals, who have lost three straight matches, TKR will face defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors in Guyana on September 29.

Speaking to the media at a press briefing at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on September 26, Pollard and coach Phil Simmons called for greater consistency from their team as they look to end the preliminary phase on a high.

"TKR is not made up of Nicholas Pooran only. TKR is made up of 11 individuals stepping on the field. The weight of expectations at times is too much on one individual and it shouldn't be like that," said Pollard, responding to a question which alluded to Pooran's inconsistencies with the bat in the tournament.

With 287 runs from eight innings, the left-handed Pooran is TKR's leading scorer this season and the fifth-leading scorer in the tournament. Keacy Carty is the team's second-highest scorer with 187 runs.

This season, Pooran's two standout performances came against the already eliminated St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (SKNP) team, as he rattled off 97 from 43 balls in his team's first game on August 31, before hitting 93 not out from 43 balls at the BLCA on September 22. In the latter match, Pooran lived a charmed life as he was dropped four times in a boundary filled innings which saw him copping the Man of the Match award.

"This is a team sport and you have to leave room for failures. I will not go down the line that he's having low scores...as a team, we need to continue to play well."

Pollard said the team has been battling with injuries throughout the season, but he commended the players for getting to this stage.

On September 26, forty-year-old allrounder Dwayne Bravo called an end to his career after suffering a groin injury in TKR's loss to the St Lucia Kings two days before at the BLCA. Bravo had planned to retire from the CPL tournament at the end of the season.

Ace spinner Sunil Narine has missed the last two games due to a "slight injury," with Jamaican allrounder Andre Russell also in a constant battle to maintain 100 per cent fitness.

"We continue to look after the injuries. Rest assured, we're in a position where we want to do well and finish 2024 as champions," Pollard said.

Simmons said Narine will be a game-time decision for the Royals game, but he's hopeful TKR will be at full strength for the business end of the tournament.

The TKR coach said the search was on for a Bravo replacement and he and the management team had hoped to come to a final decision on September 26.

In their first four games away from home, TKR got victories against SKNP, the Kings and the Royals. However, at home, they have won two games and have been dealt two losses.

"We were happy with that and how we started, but in the last couple of games we haven't shown our true form," Simmons said.

"We've been having a lot of discussion and reasoning as to what needs to happen over the next couple of days. We're trying to make amends and start an upward trend from tomorrow night (September 27)."

With both teams on ten points, the team which comes out on the losing end at the BLCA is likely to contest the eliminator match which sees the teams finishing the prelims in third and fourth spots battling in a knockout affair.