West Indies’ inability to qualify for the Super 12s of the 2022 T20 World Cup has been termed as a “sad day” for Caribbean cricket by Kieron Pollard. The former captain, who retired in April, expressed astonishment and disappointment at the West Indies’ departure and acknowledged that head coach Phil Simmons will now be under pressure to preserve his job. Pollard, on the other hand, emphasized that the culpability must be shared by all parties, not just one.
“I was astonished, to be honest, that [West Indies] weren’t able to get over the line against the other teams,” he said last weekend on i95.5fm, a Trinidad-based radio station. “But, once again, that speaks volumes about where our cricket is right now. I can feel it. I feel bad for the boys since they are the ones who will be beaten. And it’s not all their fault.”
West Indies Players not at fault for T20 WC exit, Stated by Pollard
Nicholas Pooran’s squad struggled in the first round, notching a solitary win, against Zimbabwe, while losing to Scotland and Ireland, forcing them out of the competition. The sudden withdrawal drew mockery both at home and abroad. Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt released a harsh statement declaring that a “post-mortem” will be conducted immediately, while former Australia captain Ricky Ponting called the team’s performance a “disgrace.”
Pollard, on the other hand, was uninterested in rounding up Pooran and his men. Instead, he focused on a broader topic, particularly choices, which he said contributed to their poor performance at the 2021 T20 World Cup, when he was captain. West Indies were eliminated from the competition with only one win and four losses.
“We have a young skipper, young players, individuals who would have just played a couple of [T20] matches and now they’re at the World Cup,” Pollard said. “And as I look back, I sit back with a smile on my face.” Because I recall some of the comments made last year about this time when some people were not chosen.
West Indies Players Struggle a lot throughout the WC T20
“I only had to tell these folks that we were going to a World Cup [in 2021] and another bilateral series [in New Zealand]. And now, some of these individuals will get the opportunity to compete in the World Cup. And, once again, consider what has occurred. It’s not their fault. But when we attempted to safeguard them and let people know [in 2021] that they weren’t ready for it, we were chastised. There were several things stated that were really nasty at times. It’s a sad day for Caribbean cricket and for all of us.”
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“I just had to tell these folks that we were going to a World Cup [in 2021] and another bilateral series [in New Zealand]. And now, some of individuals will get the opportunity to compete in the World Cup. And, once again, take a look at what has occurred. It is not their fault. But when we sought to safeguard them and let people know [in 2021] that they were not prepared for it, we were chastised. There were several nasty remarks made. It’s a sad day for West Indian cricket and for all of us.”
Pollard Pointed out that West Indies missing Shimron Hetmyer in their Squad
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Shimron Hetmyer was then fired by the CWI for failing to board a rescheduled aircraft to Australia. In both 2021 and 2022, just two players, Pooran and Evin Lewis were members of the initial 15-man squads. They were the only three players with at least 50 T20Is under their belts, along with Rovman Powell. Jason Holder, a former captain, and World Cup champion has 49 goals. Following that, the West Indies struggled to find seasoned campaigners. In comparison, the 2021 team had Pollard, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Russell, and Lendl Simmons.
“Experience is quite valuable. And in the Caribbean, we take it for granted “Pollard explained. “Over the years, there has been a widespread belief that once you reach a particular age, you should be eliminated. And when you have guys on the squad, they want you to leave, or when the guys aren’t there, they recognize how important the guys are. And there is another case when there aren’t a handful of experienced people around to assist the adolescents.”
Haynes had previously stated that form in the 2022 CPL will play a significant part in the World Cup squad selection. Pollard stated that while this was acceptable, other factors needed to be examined.
“Not only on appearances. It’s a comprehensive approach to what you offer to the team in all of its various elements and dimensions. A person may not be in shape, but the experience and information he can offer, share, and help someone with can be useful as well. But, once again, as a people, we go with what we see. So the last thing we would have watched before the team was chosen would have been the CPL. and whoever performed well in both games should be chosen. And that’s not how things work.”