Kieron Pollard announces retirement from international cricket, brings end to 15-year-long West Indies career
India Today
Kieron Pollard announced his retirement on April 20, bringing the curtains down on a 15-year-long international career. The 34-year-old did not play a Test match for West Indies.
West Indies superstar Kieron Pollard on Wednesday, April 20 announced retirement from international cricket. The 33-year-old brought down the curtains on a 15-year-long career for West Indies at the highest level. Pollard is currently in India, representing Mumbai Indians in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
Kieron Pollard was West Indies ODI and T20I captain since 2019 and he led the team at the T20 World Cup last year. West Indies were not able to defend the title even as they entered the tournament as one of the favourites, crashing out without reaching the semi-final stages in the UAE.
Kieron Pollard played 123 ODIs, scoring 2706 runs and picking up 55 wickets. He was one of their finest T20I batters, having scored 1568 runs in 101 matches at a strike rate of 135.14. Pollard last played in India in February 2022 when he led the team in ODI and T20I series, which the visitors lost.
Kieron Pollard was part of the West Indies squad that won the T20 World Cup in 2012. He had pulled out of the 2016 tournament due to an injury before Darren Sammy's side went on to win their 2nd title.
He is the third-highest run-getter in T20 cricket with 11,509 matches in 587 matches. Most of Pollard's runs in T20 cricket have come for franchises in T20 leagues across the globe.
"After careful deliberation, I have today decided to retire from international cricket," Pollard said in a statement on social media.
"As is the case for many young people, it was a dream of mine to represent the West Indies team from the time I was a boy of 10 years and I am proud to have represented West Indies cricket for over 15 years in both the T20I and ODI formats of the game. I can still vividly remember making my international debut in 2007 under 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 every facet of the game - whether bowling, batting or fieldin," he added.
