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WEST INDIES (WI) must strike the right balance between its younger and more experienced players if they are to continue producing positive results ahead of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup in October.
So says Kieron Pollard, as he prepares to lead the regional squad in the first of a three-match T20 International series, against Sri Lanka, at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua on Wednesday.
Pollard, fresh off an unblemished run to this year’s CG Insurance Super50 crown with the TT Red Force, believes a series win against the visitors augurs well for a maroon resurgence ahead of the T20 World Cup in India later this year.
At Tuesday’s pre-match press briefing, the WI skipper was tasked with explaining, again, the selection panel’s analogy behind their choice of veteran players Fidel Edwards and Chris Gayle for this particular series.
Edwards has not played an International match in almost a decade while the 41-year old Gayle is clearly past his peak. Additionally, the omission of Guyanese batsman Shimron Hetmyer also ruffled some feather in the Jaguars’ camp.
However, upon the selection of both the One-Day International and T20 teams, Cricket West Indies (CWI) issued a statement saying that “fast bowlers Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas, along with Hetmyer and all-rounder Roston Chase all failed to reach the minimum fitness standard in time for selection consideration.”
While Pollard welcomes new talent to the regional unit, the team must be able to strike the right balance with winning, utilising senior players and blooding new talent, altogether. “Some of the younger (cricketers) that have gotten opportunities when we started off from 2019 haven’t produced the results we might have wanted on a consistent basis. Guys were in and out because of different sort of reasons, non-cricketing reasons and stuff like that.
“Again, these guys (seniors) continue to perform despite their age. The door is open for every individual. Once you show that can perform at the highest level, or at that level, even franchise cricket, the opportunity is still there,” he said.
The burly all-rounder is a firm believer in discovering new players but noted that the team’s ultimate goal is to win matches.
As defending T20 World Cup champions (2019), the WI, according to Pollard have to get into the winning habit. If that’s a case of having a couple of extra senior guys into the team to start that process, then so be it, said the captain.
The 33-year old big-hitter said the Sri Lanka series serves as a stepping stone to both the region’s promising and seasoned talents. He also lauded young Guyanese spinner Kevin Sinclair for breaking into the team by maintaining his competitive consistency prior, and during the just concluded Super50 Cup.
[caption id="attachment_876189" align="alignnone" width="1024"] West Indies T20 captain Kieron Pollard - CWI Media[/caption]
“We’re excited to have certain individuals back and even the younger guys who are trying to get an opportunity. The way to go forward is to have a mixture of youth and experience in the team so the youthful guys can learn from the seasoned guys.
“These are some of the things that have been missing throughout. From 2016 to now, can we safely say we have put out our best T20 team to go to any series? We have to start somewhere.
“We have about 18 games plus an entire Caribbean Premier League tournament to go before the World Cup. Guys can get their opportunities to see where we need to be, come October.
“As the (WI) coach (Phil Simmons) said, we still to win matches while we go through that process. And that’s the way we’re going,” added Pollard.
He, however, urged youngsters to keep on working hard and churning out the numbers on the field. Pollard asked players to question themselves if they are doing enough to earn a place on the WI team. Against Sri Lanka and looking ahead at the T20 World Cup, Pollard highlighted the importance of building stern partnerships, particularly within the top order.
Batting struggles have constantly plagued the WI, over the years in T20, and Pollard hopes to ignite a revival.
“You want consistency from your top four batters because they get more opportunities to face most of the deliveries; with the other guys coming in trying to have that impetus to finish the game.
“We’re still trying to strike that balance, the guys and personnel we want at the top order. In T20 cricket, it’s more about impact players,” he said. WI’s top order selections are made up of Lendl Simmons – who led Red Force to victory over Guyana Jaguars in the Super50 final with a scintillating knock of 146 runs from 145 balls among other fine contributions with the bat; Evin Lewis, who was also part of the victorious TT team and big-hitting Jamaicans Andre Fletcher and Gayle.
On Gayle and his particular role in the team, Pollard closed, “Each and every individual will have a role. He (Gayle) will have a specific role as well. It’s something that we would have spoken about between last night (Monday) and today (Tuesday).
“Let’s see what transpires tomorrow (Wednesday) without letting too much out. Everyone will be clear on their role.”
The second and third T20Is against Sri Lanka bowl off at the same venue on Friday and Sunday.
This T20I Series will create history as the first full international matches to be played by the official WI team at the CCG. The matches will also be the first WI T20Is to be played in Antigua since 2013.
Meanwhile, the CG Insurance ODI series will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on March 10, 12 and 14 with the final match scheduled to be a day/night encounter.
The series forms part of the ICC ODI Super League and these three matches provide the opportunity for WI to secure their first points as they try to qualify automatically for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
 
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