West Indies’ Kieron Pollard announced his retirement from international cricket last April. Pollard, who was thirty-six years old at the time of his retirement, played his first international match in 2007 against South Africa.
The former limited-overs captain named the five best T20 players. It is special that three West Indies players were named on the team named by him. It consisted of a batsman, an all-rounder, and a spinner. The remaining two players named by him are Sri Lanka’s greatest fast bowler and India’s best middle-order batsman.
01 Chris Gayle
The first player he named was West Indies’ devastating opener, Chris Gayle. Gayle has played in 463 T20 matches and is the world’s highest T20 scorer, having scored 14562 runs in 455 innings.
His average was 36.22 with a 144.75 strikeout rate. Also, his highest score of 175 not out in an innings in T20 cricket, which included 22 centuries and 88 fifties. Pollard said about Gayle,
“Firstly, Christopher Henry Gayle, Universe Boss. Over fourteen thousand runs in T20 cricket with 22 centuries. Definitely number 1”
02 Lasith Malinga
Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga is known by many as one of the world’s best bowlers born in the shortest format. Armed with excellent yorkers, deceptive slower balls and unimaginable bouncers, Malinga was Kieron Pollard’s second choice.
He has taken 390 wickets in 295 T20 matches with an economy of 7.07 and an average of 19.68. Pollard introduced him like this,
“Secondly, Lasith Malinga. King of Yorkers.”
03 Sunil Narine
Enigmatic spinner Sunil Narine is perhaps the first top-order cricketer to have a career as a specialist T20 slow bowler. Armed with skidders, knuckleballs, carrom balls, and more, he has the ability to hit the ball at any moment in any situation.
He has taken 463 wickets in 425 matches in the T20 format with an average of 21.02 and an economy of 6.02. He scored 3244 runs in 261 innings with 13 fifties. Pollard noted,
“From a spinning perspective, Sunil Narine. Again, the king of spin. He started it off, bowling in the powerplay and bowling in the end. He has been fantastic.”
04 Ms. Dhoni
The excellent Indian middle-order batsman, who has scored 7167 runs in 361 T20 matches, is known as one of the best finishers in the world. Claiming 28 fifties, he has a strike rate of 133.98 and an average of 38.12.
Pollard named wicketkeeper MS Dhoni as the number 4 player. He said,
“So, now I have to take care of my wicket-keeping and batting sort of position. I will go with MS Dhoni. Great thinker, great finisher, feared batter in the back end.”
05 Kieron Pollard
It is very special that he named himself. Having played 604 T20 matches, Pollard has scored 11783 runs with one century and 56 fifties. This destructive batsman has taken 309 wickets in his Twenty20 career.
He said if his Xi he must play. It was also said that his twenty-twenty reports prove that he is a genius.
“Number 5, if it’s my world XI T20 then I got to be there, I’ve got to play. I will be number 5 and my record speaks for itself when it comes to T20 cricket, That’s my 5 and Bravo, yes he is there and thereabouts. There is only five for now but remember a team is made up of 11.”