The Cricketer celebrates the end of the allrounder's international career by looking back on some of the finest displays for his country
Kieron Pollard built a reputation for his destructive power hitting and swagger over his 15-year international career.
Sitting eighth on the list of most T20 international sixes with 99 and finishing his ODI career with 2,706 runs, most will remember Pollard’s ability to clear the ball over stands, take opposition bowlers apart and chip in with key wickets with the ball.
He finished his international career as captain of his country, a T20 World Cup winner in 2012 and white-ball West Indies legend.
The Cricketer looks back at some of the batting all-rounder’s most important, explosive and dramatic moments.
St Lucia 2012
102 & 1 for 16 vs Australia, fourth one-day international
One of Pollard’s most devastating innings came 10 years ago as he helped the West Indies take a 2-1 series lead in St Lucia. His performance displayed his pure power hitting as he slogged 102 from 70 balls, admitting after the match: "Some of those sixes I didn’t middle."
The knock saw him come head-to-head with Brett Lee - in the latter days of his international career - with his eight deliveries going for 13 runs including one six over midwicket to bring up his century. Lee eventually dismissed Pollard the very next ball, but the damage was already done.
After setting the Australians a target of 295 Pollard then set about contributing with the ball, taking the wicket of Matthew Wade as the visitors fell 42 runs short.
The first of several West Indies celebrations in Sri Lanka (LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images)
Colombo 2012
38 & 2 for 6 vs Australia, T20 World Cup semi-final
Pollard shone in the West Indies side that won the 2012 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, with his best performance coming against Australia in the semi-final. His 38 off just 15 balls in a partnership with Chris Gayle ensured Australia were faced with needing a mammoth 206 to win.
Xavier Doherty bore the brunt of Pollard’s pyrotechnics as he smashed the left-arm spinner for three consecutive sixes in the final over of the innings.
Pollard then set about his work with the ball dismissing George Bailey and Pat Cummins in consecutive deliveries to break the back of the Australian batting line-up.
The Aussies fell well short and were dismissed for just 131. Whilst Pollard could not repeat his heroics in the final, the Windies stormed to a 36-run success over Sri Lanka back in Colombo.
Despair for Pollard in Chennai (DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images)
Chennai 2011
119 vs India, fifth one-day international
Pollard’s maiden ODI century came in a dead rubber against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Although he was ultimately unsuccessful in pulling off a remarkable comeback after the West Indies’ top order collapsed to 78 for 5, his knock of 119 showed maturity by adapting to a slow pitch.
He was given a life on 99 as he slogged a delivery from Rahul Sharma straight to Virat Kohli, who shelled the straightforward chance to gift Pollard a maiden ODI ton, and what remains his best ODI score.
Pollard showed no mercy against Ireland (MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images)
Mohali 2011
94 vs Ireland, 2011 Cricket World Cup
After coming to the crease at 130 for 3, Pollard teamed with Devon Smith in to smash 94 at a strike rate of 170.90, including five sixes and eight fours to set Ireland 276 to win.
He fell agonisingly short of three figures, being dismissed by John Mooney in the penultimate over, but by then had set his side on the path to victory.
This innings very much announced Pollard’s arrival on the world stage after he failed to make his mark in the tournament as a teenager four years previous.
His devastating display showcased his power-hitting which singled him out as a threat to opposition for the rest of his career.
Kieron Pollard's six sixes in all their glory 👀pic.twitter.com/vwWBgGSvh4
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) March 4, 2021
Antigua 2021
38 vs Sri Lanka, first T20I
Pollard left one of his most destructive displays for the twilight of his international career, against Sri Lanka, showing his continued ability to grip games by the scruff of the neck.
A hat-trick for Akila Dananjaya, which he dismissed Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran to leave the West Indies stumbling in what had appeared an easy chase of 131.
Fortunes changed quickly for the spinner however as he found himself the victim of Pollard’s power hitting.
The Stanford Cricket Ground wasn’t big enough for Pollard, who deposited several balls in amongst the trees outside of the as he muscled the ball over the boundary.
He reeled off six maximums in a row to become the eighth player to lash six sixes in an over (a list which has since swelled to nine) joining Yuvaraj Singh and Herschelle Gibbs in the international game.
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