NELSON, New Zealand, CMC – Seasoned campaigner Kieron Pollard has pulled out of the West Indies Twenty20 squad for the three-match series beginning here tomorrow.
A Cricket West Indies release on Tuesday said only that Pollard was “unavailable due to personal reasons.”
The Trinidadian is one of the most sought-after all-rounders in the popular format, scoring 7816 runs and taking 242 wickets from 399 T20s.
For West Indies, he has played 56 matches scoring 768 runs but has not passed 30 in four years and is without a half-century in five years.
Pollard will be replaced by exciting 20-year-old stroke-maker Shimron Hetmyer who is yet to make this T20 International debut and only last week made his one-day debut.
Pollard is one of two changes to the Windies squad with speedster Ronsford Beaton forced out with a side strain and replaced by left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell.
Beaton also made his one-day debut against New Zealand recently, playing two matches but was reported to the ICC for a suspected illegal action.
The side led by all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite face New Zealand in the opening match at Saxton Oval here.
Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui will host the last two games on New Year’s Day and January 3.
SQUAD – Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Samuel Badree, Sheldon Cotterell, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams.
