Kieron Pollard retires from international cricket

West Indies limited-overs captain Kieron Pollard has retired from international cricket by announcing his decision on social media.

“After careful deliberation I’ve today decided to retire from international cricket,” Pollard said in a video on Instagram. “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 T20 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, soul in every facet of the game – whether bowling, batting or fielding.”

Pollard went on to say captaining West Indies was “the highest honour bestowed” on him and he led the team with “passion, openness, courage, and everything I could every possibly give both on and off the field without ever compromising my principles and integrity.”

Pollard went on to thank his team-mates, and was “grateful” to the “various selectors, management teams and in particular, coach Phil Simmons” for seeing potential and having faith in him.

Pollard played 123 ODIs and 101 T20Is for West Indies. He made his ODI debut in April 2007 against South Africa and his T20I debut the following year opposite Australia in Bridgetown. He never played a Test for West Indies and was one of the many white-ball specialists for West Indies for more than a decade.

He was, however, left out of their ODI team in December 2014, ahead of a series in South Africa. His axing – along with Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo – came soon after West Indies pulled out of their tour of India with an ODI, a T20I and three Tests still remaining, due to a dispute with the board and the players’ association over payment structures.

He returned to international cricket in June 2016 and was then made captain for ODIs and T20Is in 2019. He went on to lead them to series wins against Afghanistan in India, against Ireland at home, against Sri Lanka both home and away in T20Is, and against England at home earlier this year in T20Is.

Overall, he led West Indies in 61 matches in the two formats, of which they won 25, lost 31 and five ended without a result.

Pollard was also part of the West Indies side that won the T20 World Cup in 2012 in Sri Lanka.

Pollard is currently in India playing the IPL for five-time campions Mumbai Indians.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)