Pollard sees need for next generation of cricket stars from the Caribbean

Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have had a mixed CPL 2024 season, facing challenges such as injuries to key players like Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell. Despite this, their captain Kieron Pollard remains optimistic, emphasizing the need to develop the next generation of cricket stars for the Caribbean.

While Bravo ended his playing career early due to a groin injury, Narine is recovering from a quad strain, and Russell has been dealing with a hamstring injury since the tournament began. To add to the injury list, USA’s fast bowler Ali Khan was ruled out of the entire CPL 2024. Despite these setbacks, Pollard maintains that the team is satisfied with their position, having won five of their eight games.

Pollard stated, “We’ve played eight games – won five and lost three. The first step in any tournament is to qualify. If we were in fifth or sixth place, it would be a different conversation.” Currently in fourth place, TKR still has a chance to finish in the top two if they continue to play consistent cricket.

Rising Young Talents in the Caribbean

Despite setbacks, TKR has discovered some young talents during this CPL season, particularly Shaqkere Parris (21) and Keacy Carty (27), who has already represented West Indies in both ODI and Test cricket. Parris, just six T20s old, has shown promise and caught the eye of many, including Indian cricketer R Ashwin, who praised Parris’ talent and even compared him to Pollard. The young player made a notable 57 off 33 balls against St Lucia Kings and launched a massive 124-meter six in Port-of-Spain.

Pollard also spoke highly of Parris, saying, “It’s something as a team we had looked at in terms of scouting. He has shown that he’s not just playing for the sake of it but is taking up the mantle to prove his worth.”

The Need for Homegrown Talent

Pollard expressed a desire to see more local talent, particularly from Trinidad, rising through the ranks. He emphasized that the Under-23 initiative is meant to provide local players the opportunity to represent their region. Pollard acknowledged that to maintain the strength of Caribbean cricket, there is a need for the next generation of players to take on the roles of legendary players like Bravo, Narine, and Pollard himself.

He stated, “We need the next batches of the Dwayne Bravos, Sunil Narines, Kieron Pollards, Lendl Simmons, and Denesh Ramdins. So a lot of work needs to be done on that.”

As TKR navigates their season amidst injuries and young talent emerging, Pollard remains hopeful for the future, looking towards developing the next stars of Caribbean cricket.