Pollard: TKR deserved to finish last in CPL

TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) captain Kieron Pollard said his team deserved to finish at the foot of the table in the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament. The TT franchise missed a spot in the playoffs for the first time in the ten-year history of the tournament.

Four-time champions TKR, the most successful team in CPL history, finished last in the six-team table with seven points. TKR ended with three wins, six losses and one no result.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots also failed to qualify for the playoffs ending in fifth place with eight points.

Barbados Royals, St Lucia Kings, Jamaica Tallawahs and Guyana Amazon Warriors will compete in the playoffs, which bowl off on Tuesday at Providence Stadium in East Bank Demerara, Guyana.

TKR ended the tournament with a 37-run defeat to Amazon Warriors at Providence Stadium, on Saturday.

Pollard, asked to put a finger on what went wrong during the tournament, said, “Everything…the way we played throughout the entire tournament we (are) deservedly in the position we are in right now.”

The TKR batting struggled in the tournament and Pollard said that contributed to the team’s dismal showing.

“To play ten games as a batting unit first of all (and) not cross 160 I think that is disappointing to say in itself.”

Discussing the team’s bowling effort, Pollard said at times they let opposing batsmen off the hook in the closing overs.

“From a bowling perspective having teams on the back foot and giving it away in the back end more often than not…we deserve to be where we are in the table.”

Pollard knows the TKR fans would be heartbroken by the results this year.

“We apologise to the TKR fans, the Trinidad fans back home.”

Pollard, who only scored 132 runs in nine innings at an average of 14.66, expected more of himself.

“Obviously myself as a batsman did not do what was needed, but again these things happen in cricket. If you want to play cricket for a long time you have to go through the waves and this is one of the times that we need to stand together and stay strong.”

The CPL is celebrating ten years.

Pollard reiterated that another tournament is needed in the Caribbean for the younger players.

“It has been fantastic (to be around for ten years). All round the world they have their own privatised tournaments and going ten years strong I think they have done a fantastic job so, well done to them. For me, it is all about West Indies cricket and I have been advocating alongside this tournament in order to unearth new talent we need to have another tournament where the younger guys could get an opportunity.”

Pollard said the Hero CPL is about winning, therefore teams play their top players which may leave the younger players on the bench.

Pollard wished the teams luck in the playoffs.