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[Saba Sports News] England are likely to bring in former West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard as their consultant coach for the T20 World Cup 2024, which is scheduled to be held in the Caribbean and the USA.
The move to appoint Pollard, who played as a T20 specialist for the most part of his career, aims to take advantage of his vast experience of playing in the West Indies.
England had adopted a similar strategy for the T20 World Cup 2022 that they ended up winning. The Three Lions had then brought Michael Hussey onboard in the same role as the tournament took place in Australia.
“Pollard, who is 36 and remains an active player, has enjoyed an extraordinary T20 career, winning five Indian Premier League titles and the 2012 T20 World Cup. He is the most experienced player in T20 history, playing 637 matches in the format and is renowned as one of the shrewdest thinkers in the game,” The Telegraph reported
“Pollard also brings an intimate knowledge of conditions in the West Indies. The Trinidadian will help England to assess the pitches in the T20 World Cup, which begins on June 4. He will play a similar role to Mike Hussey, the former Australian batsman, in the 2022 T20 World Cup victory,” the report added.
England are currently going through a tough time as the side after horrobly failing to the defend the ODI World Cup title in India, lost the multi-format white-ball series against the West Indies.
England lost the five-match T20I series by 2-3. The last two fixtures were held in Trinidad and reportedly, Pollard was seen in the same hotel where the England team stayed.
Despite retiring from international cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2022, Pollard still participates in various franchise-based competitions. He is also the batting coach of Mumbai Indians.