Kieron Pollard announces retirement from international cricket; social media gets emotional
Kieron Pollard has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending his 15-year stint with Windies. Meanwhile, fans bid an emotional farewell to the all-rounder.
FollowIt can be considered the end of an era in Windies cricket. Veteran all-rounder Kieron Pollard has decided to retire from international cricket, thus ending his 15-year glorious stint with the Caribbean national side. While he continues to play in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) for record five-time former champion Mumbai Indians (MI), fans have bid him an emotional farewell from the international stage.
Taking to his Instagram handle on Wednesday evening, Pollard posted a video where he said, "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 T20 and ODI forms of the game."
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"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," added Pollard.
Pollard made his Windies debut in 2002 and instantly became a star for the side. He scripted numerous records and was heavily impactful in the limited-overs format, especially in the Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). He also led the side in white-ball cricket on various occasions but was never a part of the ICC T20 World Cup-winning side in 2012 and 2016.
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Considering Pollard's international career numbers, he has scored 2,706 One-Day International (ODI) runs in 116 innings at an average of 26.02, including three tons and 13 half-centuries, while his top score is 119. With the ball, he has claimed 55 wickets in 82 innings at an economy of 5.7, with 3/27 being his best figures. In T20Is, he has amassed 1,569 in 82 at 25.31 and a strike rate of 135.14, with six 50s and a top score of 75. In bowling, he has bagged 42 in 63 at 8.33 and the best figure of 4/25.
As for some of Pollard's records for Windies:
- He is the first Windies and third international cricketer to slam six sixes in an over.
- He is the first Windies player to play 100 T20Is.
- He is the fourth Windies batter to score 1,000 T20I runs.
