Kieron Pollard bids adieu to international cricket

Kieron Pollard considered one of the greatest players in the shortest format of cricket has decided to retire from international cricket. He announced his decision on social media on Wednesday (20^th April 2022), a day before his Indian T20 League franchise Mumbai face off against their arch-rivals Chennai.

Pollard took to Instagram to reveal his decision. His post read – “After careful deliberation, I’ve today decided to retire from International cricket. As is the case of many young persons, it was a dream of mine to represent the West Indies team from the time I was a boy of 10 years and I’m proud to have represented West Indies cricket for over 15 years in both the T20I and ODI forms of the game.”

“I can still vividly remember making my international debut in 2007 under the leadership of my childhood hero, Brian Lara. Wearing those maroon colours and playing alongside such greats has been a privilege that I never took lightly, giving my heart and soul in every facet of the game-whether bowling, batting or fielding,”-Pollard added further in the post.

He also wrote about his experience of captaining the West Indian tour. He called it “the highest honour bestowed” on him and that he played the role with “passion, openness, courage and everything I could ever possibly give both and off the field without ever compromising my principles and integrity.”

 

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Kieron Pollard made his debut for West Indies in ODIs in the 2007 World Cup. After that, he went to play 123 ODIs for his national team and has scored 2706 runs in them at an average of 26.0, with three centuries. He also has 55 ODI wickets to his name. In T20Is he represented West Indies in 101 matches scoring 1569 runs in them at a strike rate of 135.14 and having a 75 not out as the highest score. He has always been a limited-overs specialist and has never taken the field for West Indies in the longest format of cricket. He will be remembered as one of those players who revolutionized T20 cricket and made it popular across the globe.

Notably, he is the limited-overs captain of West Indies when he decides to bid farewell to international cricket. With a T20 World Cup round the corner this year in Australia, West Indies will now have to look for an apt candidate to lead them in the tournament.