ESPNcricinfo
With Andre Russell joining Trinbago Knight Riders and Nicholas Pooran returning to the line-up, they are dripping with experience and pedigree. With captain Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Colin Munro also in the mix, Knight Riders can stake a claim for being the strongest T20 franchise side in the world. Pollard, though, refused to be drawn into comparisons with other T20 teams on the circuit, and pointed out that big names alone can’t guarantee success.
“Yes, I’ve played for a lot of teams with a lot of great players, but obviously, when you look at the team on paper, we have world-class players and a lot of guys who have played around the world,” Pollard said. “Again, to say the strongest and go down that route, I don’t think we are looking at that.
“We are looking at what we can achieve as a team and what we can do on the field as individuals, inclusive of what the team requires, and hopefully, with the experience of everyone, we can bind that together and show some sort of results when the time comes.”
For the second time in less than a year, Pollard has called for a regional T20 tournament in addition to the CPL for identifying fresh talent. After West Indies had suffered an early exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Pollard had said that a domestic T20 tournament would help expand their talent pool.
“I’ve been advocating it. I’ve said it after the last World Cup campaign as well. That is how a lot of cricketers have been unearthed in the Caribbean – through the local tournaments,” he said. “There is the CPL, which is great for the Caribbean players and great for the viewership as well and great for everybody, but in terms of the development – five overseas players coming and four can play at a time, which leaves seven locals. I don’t think that is enough to see the emerging talent. But, at the end of the day, the franchise owners and sponsors are putting in a lot of money to see good cricket. I don’t think they are just looking at development; they’re looking to be known on the global scene.
“So, I’ve said [it before] and I’m going to say it again, yes, I think we need another tournament so we can continue to bridge the gap of getting our players through. 6ixty was a good start, but it’s only ten-over cricket, so guys have to go from ball one. We want to unearth new talent not only for T20 cricket but for 50 overs and Test cricket as well so that we can have longevity in the sport and compete at the highest level on a consistent basis.”
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