WIndies captain's retirement a suprise to many

DAVID Furlonge, coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, and former TT and West Indies leg-spinner Samuel Badree both expressed surprise at the news that Kieron Pollard decided to retire from international cricket.

The 34-year-old Pollard, who served as captain of the WI One-Day International (ODI) and T20 teams since September 2019, announced his decision via social media on Wednesday.

There has been some debate about Pollard’s job as captain, as well as his place on the WI teams, due to his dodgy knees and his recent struggles with the bat (both for the regional team and at the Indian Premier League with Mumbai Indians).

Furlonge, who was a long-standing coach with Pollard’s local club Queen’s Park, said, “I’m a little bit surprised but I think I was expecting it. Over the course of the last couple weeks, I had a feeling that I’m waiting for this announcement one day, during (this) IPL.”

Asked if he was surprised at the retirement news or did he think Pollard would only resign as captain, Furlonge replied, “If he was stepping down as captain from either team, I thought he would have retired from that (form of) cricket.

“He definitely will continue to play the T20 game and hopefully he’ll continue to lend his experience, which I know he certainly will, to Trinidad and Tobago.”

Badree, a member of the WI triumphant T20 World Cup teams (in 2012, with Pollard, and in 2016), acknowledged, “To be honest, I was surprised at the news. It was something that was unexpected.”

Concerning the factors which may have led to Pollard stepping away from international cricket, Furlonge said, “I’ve known him since he was about 12 or 13 till now. It’s a feeling I’ve had since the beginning of this IPL, not during this IPL. He has given his all for West Indies.

“I think he’s probably reached a point, especially in the past couple of years with the covid and the bubbles, and he’s an extremely strong family man. That could’ve taken a toll over the past couple of years.”

According to Badree, “It’ll all be speculation from me, not having any intimate knowledge, but certainly his injury with his knee, certainly with covid and bubble life, (and) the pressures that come with captaincy.

“(The West Indies) performances in white-ball cricket, particularly the recent World Cup, have not been the best. Taking all those things into consideration, I think he came up with his decision.”

Nicholas Pooran (T20) and Shai Hope (ODI) served as Pollard’s deputies in the respective formats.

With regards to Pollard’s successor(s), Badree said, “Nicholas Pooran comes to mind. He has been the vice-captain of the T20 team and, with the experience he has now, in franchise cricket around the world, and the fact that the West Indies selectors have given him the vice-captaincy in terms of succession planning, he’ll come to mind from the T20 standpoint. I know Shai Hope was the vice-captain of the ODI team.

“So, if you’re looking at separate captains, you have those two but if you’re looking at a singular captain, maybe Nicholas Pooran can be the captain of both (teams).”

Asked for his favourite Pollard memory, in WI colours, Furlonge responded, “His six sixes against Sri Lanka (off Akila Dananjaya in a T20 international at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua on March 4, 2021), that’s one of the most memorable moments for me.”

Badree noted, “My favourite memory of Pollard is not in West Indies colours but in (TT) colours when he made 52 off 18 balls against New South Wales in the Champions League in India (in 2009). That was really his breakout performance in T20 cricket, and he made the IPL on the back of that.

“He’s given yeoman service to the game, he’s an absolute legend of T20 cricket. I know he’s not retired from T20 cricket but from international cricket. He would be sorely missed, his experience and his knowledge.”

Experienced off-spinner Sunil Narine served as Pollard’s vice-captain with the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) during the 2021 Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

In a video interview issued by TKR, Narine said, “It’s sad. He had much more to give for West Indies but he has to know when it’s time (to retire). I wish him all the best in his future endeavours, in whatever tournaments he’s playing, and I’m sure he’ll have lots more success. He’ll still have a good fan base and I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.”

Ricky Skerritt, president of Cricket West Indies (CWI), mentioned in a media release, “On behalf of everyone at CWI, I would like to express our thanks to Kieron Pollard for his outstanding service to the West Indies ODI and T20I teams over the past 15 years.

“We respect his decision to retire from international cricket and are especially grateful for the high quality of leadership and commitment he invested in both West Indies teams since his appointment as our white-ball captain in September 2019. We wish him continued success in his career.”