“On a personal level, it’s good that I’ll be walking out at the Queen’s Park Oval and everyone will be with me this time rather than against me for the last six years so that in itself is a booster.” Kieron Pollard’s statement epitomized what the Trinbago Knight Riders’ (TKR) start to the 2019 season will be like as the team faces St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (SKN) at the Oval this evening from 7 pm. The hosts are the defending champions in the competition after win in 2017 and 2018.
An injury to his index finger on his left hand has ruled regular captain Dwayne Bravo out of the first few weeks of the tournament allowing Pollard to assume the leadership position. This is his first time playing for TKR in the seven-year history of the CPL. Darren Bravo will also miss tonight’s game and possibly Friday’s match against the Jamaica Tallawahs after sustaining a concussion in the second Test against India on Sunday.
At the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Pollard gave an update on the left-hander’s status. He said, “I don’t expect him to take the park. We have been given five days minimum and it’s up to the individual but it’s nothing too serious so we just need to take it easy.”
Pollard also lamented the loss of the bigger Bravo, who is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 97 scalps. “These things happen in sport and we have to take that on the chin,” the all-rounder said. “At the backend of the camp, we went to Tobago and had a relaxing day as a team. I think the guys are raring to take the field and representing TKR,” he said.
Pollard led the Barbados Tridents for five years and also took over the captaincy at the St Lucia Stars last year. He has also had stints as captain of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians.
The 32-year-old has played 478 T20 matches and will bring a wealth of experience to his role for the September 4 to October 12 tournament.
He’s been given a vote of confidence by TKR director Venky Mysore, who said, “His leadership abilities are well proven and, like Bravo, will bring a very aggressive style as captain in TKR’s quest for a third championship in a row.”
Both Pollard and SKN captain Carlos Brathwaite emphasized the need for winning small battles throughout the tournament as they looked ahead to the next six weeks. Pollard said, “Sometimes you set small goals and the first goal for us is to try to qualify, being in that top four, then when the playoffs come we take it from there. We’ll be taking it one game at a time and not getting too overconfident and ahead of ourselves. Each game is going to be important for us and we’re looking forward to that.”
Brathwaite, on the other hand, said, “It’s a lot of small things that go into making your champion and that’s our goal at the end of the day.”
TKR will begin its campaign for a hat-trick of CPL titles having won the title three times before in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
TEAMS
TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS
Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard (Capt), Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Bravo, Muhammad Hasnain, Khary Pierre, Jimmy Neesham, Seekkuge Prasanna, Amir Jangoo, Anderson Phillip, Mark Deyal, Tion Webster, Javon Searles, Akeal Hosein, Ali Khan.
ST KITTS & NEVIS PATRIOTS
Alzarri Joseph, Fabian Allen, Evin Lewis, Carlos Brathwaite (Capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Laurie Evans, Sheldon Cottrell, Devon Thomas, Rayad Emrit, Shamarh Brooks, Jeremiah Louis, Dominic Drakes, Afif Hossain, Keron Cottoy, Akeem Jordan, Usama Mir, Aaron Jones, Mohammad Hafeez, Jason Mohammed, Kjorn Otley.