Phil Simmons trusts 'natural leader' Kieron Pollard to come good for West Indies

New West Indies coach Phil Simmons has come forward in support of limited-overs teams captain, Kieron Pollard to lead from the front. Pollard, who hasn’t played ODI cricket since 2016, was handed the T20I and ODI captaincy recently and returning coach Simmons has no doubts that he can fulfil these duties. Talking to ESPNcricinfo, Simmons said:

“Responsibility of being captain is going to make him want to always be on top of the runs and leading from the front. He is that kind of a leader - even though he asks you to do something, it is not something he wouldn't do or he wouldn't want to do."

Simmons expects a lot from the new T20I and ODI captain and has pointed out ways in which Pollard can contribute to the team’s cause. He said that Pollard’s career graph was a testament to the skill and maturity he has developed over the years.

“I expect a lot of runs to come from him. Hopefully, he doesn't get to bat where he's batting much because the top order should be performing now - they have been around for a while in both those two forms.”

"A lot of people write him off… The pressure always makes him stand up. If you look at his career, every time he's under pressure he stands up and he shows 'look, I've had a blip, but I'm back'."

Kieron Pollard.

Simmons lauded Pollard’s man-management skills as well as his leadership qualities that help team members take on challenges in pressure situations. Simmons was hugely impressed by the way Pollard constructed his innings with more composure in present times as compared to his initial days, when he tried to whack the ball out of the ground from the word go. Simmons stated:

"His experience in general, and not just the knowledge, but also his ability to involve all the players and his ability to give players challenges but at the same time be on their side - that natural leadership is there. It is something that he will bring a lot to the team.”

Kieron Pollard wasn’t part of the ICC World Cup squad as West Indies endured a disastrous tournament in England, winning only two of their group games against Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pollard, who has played 101 ODIs and 62 T20Is, also received support from Brian Lara after his appointment as captain.

Simmons won the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup with the Windies before being controversially sacked by Cricket West Indies later in the year. He was also removed as Afghanistan coach after their poor outing in this year's ICC World Cup that saw them lose all their matches.

Post that, Simmons helped the Tridents win the 2019 Caribbean Premier League, beating Guyana Amazon Warriors. Simmons also coached Ireland from 2007 to 2015. It will be interesting to see how the new pair goes about its business of leading West Indies cricket in the long run.

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