West Indies legend Brian Lara thinks the current squad has the potential of becoming a top player in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia later this year while noting that the seasoned Kieron Pollard will get the best out of the power-packed outfit.
Highlights Of Pollard’s T20 Career
Pollard became the first cricketer to play 500 T20 games last week when he took the field against Sri Lanka in the first two T20Is. Lara marveled at the limited-over achievement of the West Indies captain and described his skill as a leader he thinks would be key to the team’s success in the near future.
“It’s a tremendous achievement, first of all, to play so many T20 games, it’s unbelievable, Kieron Pollard has been around for quite some time. I remember his first game was 2007 for the World Cup” said Lara addressing the media.
Adding further he said, “What he also has is cohesiveness in the bunch of players that he is in charge of. I think everyone respects him, which is important and he has a very good head on his shoulder. [He’s a] fair guy as well so I expect him to do very well for West Indies and I expect everyone to rally [around him]. The most important thing is a captain is as good as his team, and if he has support from his team – and a very talented team at that, especially in the T20 version of the game – I think he’s going to get the best out of them.”
As for the other proven T20 greats in Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, who are the only players alongside Pollard to have played more than 400 games, Lara feels their success in the upcoming Indian Premier League edition will play a key role in deciding their selection for the T20 World Cup to the West Indies squad.
Bravo recently made a return for the home series against Ireland with the West Indies side, although Gayle’s last international appearance dates back to August 2019.
“I think the IPL is going to be a huge point or signal for who is actually going to carry on. It’s still going to be five months after the IPL for the World Cup. Fitness levels are very important, but a gruesome tournament like the IPL is going to tell the West Indies selectors who are the players that they really need going into the last four months of preparation for the World Cup,” said Lara.
West Indies are the only team to win two T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016, and Lara added that Pollard-led side, with the quality of power-packed players in their ranks, will once again be a team to beat in Australia’s upcoming edition.
