ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Kieron Pollard said yesterday he did not expect any hangover from the West Indies thrashing in the preceding Test series to impact his side in the five-match Twenty20 International series starting here today.
The home side lost both Tests in St Lucia by emphatic margins – the first by an innings and 63 runs and the second by 158 runs – but Pollard said his 13-man unit were “white-ball specialists” and expected them to excel in the new format.
“We’re pretty confident. The good thing about it is when they played the Test series they played with a red ball and that moves a lot, and this one we’re playing with a white ball,” the experienced all-rounder told an online media conference.
“So I think the guys, white-ball specialists, are a lot more confident going into the series because guys would have played against the (Kagiso) Rabadas and the (Anrich) Nortjes and the (Quinton) de Kocks, so familiarity can work for us as well.
“So every day is a new day whereas in the Test team, guys would have been facing these individuals who are world class bowlers for the first time, so it takes a while.”
He added: “Let’s try not to come down too hard on them (Test batsmen) and try to put the [South Africa] bowlers on a pedestal.
“Yes, they’re good bowlers, but at the end of the day we need to play cricket and hopefully we can play and can overcome the challenges, and we can say that our West Indians batters were able to compete with these world class bowlers.”
West Indies face a South Africa side which has struggled of recent and are without a series win in their last six tours, and have only won five of their last 19 T20 Internationals.
The home side’s form has also been indifferent, winning only two of their last seven series and capturing seven of their last 20 matches
West Indies enter the series ranked 10th in the world in the ICC charts, with the Proteas four notches higher but Pollard said the focus was on playing the best cricket possible.
“I don’t look too much into that. It’s about how we play our cricket going forward in the future,” he pointed out.
“One thing about South Africa is that they’re confident because some of the guys might have played in the Test series, and they beat us two-zip so they’re coming full of confidence and we’re already starting on the back foot as well.
“We’re just looking forward to playing good cricket and trying to improve on what we started in that last series against Sri Lanka.”
And with all-rounder Andre Russell recalled to the Windies ranks and the likes of Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons and Chris Gayle available, Pollard warned the reigning T20 World champions would play to their strengths.
“In terms of our strength, it’s no secret about our power-hitting ability and being able to clear the boundaries, using our strength and our power,” he said.
“That’s our biggest strength and we will continue to harness our strengths and work on our weaknesses. In everything you do, you try to improve and we’re trying to improve as a team and as individuals.”