Kieron Pollard retires: Best of West Indies captain on the field

Kieron Pollard on Wednesday announced that he is retiring from international cricket. The 34-year-old has established himself as one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball and has also given value with his bowling. The West Indies cricketer’s ability to pull off remarkable catches, particularly on the boundary ropes, is another exceptional attribute he possesses. Here’s a look at his top 5 catches:

2015 Caribbean Premier League

Close-in
catching positions in cricket, particularly when spinners are used, are
generally assigned to players who are either short or of ordinary height.
Kieron Pollard, at 6 feet 6 inches tall, does not fit into any of these
categories, so for him to take a catch at silly point is something
extraordinary.

Also read: Kieron Pollard, one of the best T20I stars, never played Test cricket

During a
2015 Caribbean Premier League encounter for the Barbados Tridents against the
Jamaican Tallawahs, Pollard took a superb low catch at silly point to send
Mahela Jayawardene packing for a first-ball duck.

When
left-arm spinner Robin Peterson came in to bowl, the large West Indian
positioned himself near to the batsman. Jayawardene took a step forward to
defend his initial delivery towards the off-side, but the ball remained in the
air long enough for Pollard to catch it and run away in celebration.

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2012 ODI against Australia

Kieron
Pollard made another spectacular catch during a home ODI series against
Australia in 2012. It was the first game of a five-match series, and
Australia’s innings was going well, with opener David Warner leading the way.

Part-timer
Warner, who was on 40 at the moment, smacked a little shorter delivery from
Marlon Samuels towards the cover region. The ball went to Pollard’s extreme
left, and he dove full length to retrieve it, snatching it just inches off the
ground in a stunning attempt. Keiron
Pollard appeared delighted with his performance and dashed out to celebrate the
grab with his teammates.

Also read: IPL 2022: Hazelwood, skipper du Plessis shine in RCB defeat of LSG

2015 Big Bash League

While the
official scorecard of the 2015 match between the Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane
Heat shows this spectacular catch under Travis Head’s name, it was Kieron
Pollard who virtually single-handedly carried out the feat. Head’s part in
obtaining it was limited to being in the right location at the right time. Chris
Lynn of the Brisbane Heat, who was batting on 28, stepped out of his crease and
hit Johan Botha right down the ground for a six. The ball gained a lot of
elevation but fell short of clearing the ropes by a long shot.

Pollard
rushed in and jumped to grab the ball as it began to fall just outside the
boundary. Knowing that his body momentum would carry him beyond the line, he
lobbed the ball to Head, who had already made his way to the boundary and
easily completed the catch.

Also read: Kieron Pollard retires: 5 cricketers who called it quits before 35

2013 ODI against Australia

Kieron
Pollard has an incredible ability to make stunning catches around the boundary
line. One of his best outfield catches came in the third ODI in a five-match
series during the West Indies’ 2013 tour to Australia.

Glenn
Maxwell clobbered a delivery from off-spinner Sunil Narine flat and hard
towards the square leg boundary. Unfortunately for him, Pollard was patrolling
the neighborhood at the time and had altogether different plans.

The tall
West Indian took advantage of his height by leaping into the air with his right
arm outstretched. Kieron Pollard not only managed to keep the ball, but he also
managed to fall inside the playing area while being dangerously close to the
rope.

2014 Indian Premier League

While Kieron
Pollard has made some spectacular catches in his career, none have surpassed
the one he made against the Rajasthan Royals during the 2014 IPL season. The
Royals were in chaos as they chased a 179-run target when all-rounder Kevon
Cooper decided to break free.

Cooper
hammered one off Harbhajan Singh towards long-on, and the shot appeared to have
enough strength to clear the barricade. Pollard, on the other hand, jumped as
high as he could and performed a stunning one-handed take.

As soon as
his left foot touched the ground, he hurled the ball into the field of play and
over the boundary rope. Then he whirled around, dashed back to the field, and
leapt forward full length to complete the catch before the ball struck the
ground.