West Indies’ legendary all-rounder Kieron Pollard is shocked and disillusioned with the crew’s early exit from the T20 World Cup and stated all of the stakeholders should share the blame.
Two-time champions West Indies didn’t qualify for the Super 12 stage of the T20 showpiece in Australia after struggling defeats to Scotland and Ireland within the first spherical.
“A bit surprised, to be honest that (West Indies) weren’t able to get over the line against the other teams,” Pollard advised i95.5fm, a Trinidad-based radio station.
“But again, that speaks volumes of where our cricket as is at the moment. I feel it. I feel it for the guys because they are the ones that are going to get the bashing. And it’s not all their fault.” The elimination attracted reactions from throughout the cricketing world.
Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt issued a scathing assertion, saying a “post-mortem” could be carried out instantly.
Australian legend Ricky Ponting has known as the once-formidable West Indies’ early exit from the match a “disgrace”.
Pollard stated, “We have a younger captain, we have now younger gamers, guys who would have performed solely a handful of (matches in) T20 cricket and now they’re within the World Cup.
“And after I look again at it, I sit again and I’ve a smile on my face. Because I bear in mind a number of the issues that was stated final 12 months round this time, when some people weren’t chosen.
“I just had to remind these people that there was a World Cup we were going to (in 2021) and another bilateral series (in New Zealand). And now some of the individuals get the opportunity to play in the World Cup. And, again, look what has happened. It’s no fault of theirs,” he stated.
“But when we tried to sort of protect them and let people understand (in 2021), they were not ready for that, we were lambasted. There were a lot of things that were said that were very derogatory at times. It’s a sad day for West Indies cricket and all of us.”
