Kieron Pollard is arguably one of the greatest T20 batters ever, and it is no surprise that he added another to his coveted resume by winning the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 edition. The Nicholas Pooran-led Trinbago Knight Riders won the tournament after defeating Guyana Amazon Warriors in the summit clash by three wickets at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. After the win, Pollard let it rip as he didn’t hold back on still being booed in some parts of the Caribbean.
Pollard might be one of the most respected T20 players around the world, but he continues to receive a hostile reception in some parts of the islands. Over the years, the right-handed batter has gotten used to being greeted with jeers and boos in certain venues, especially in Guyana.
The boos have followed him around for years, and no one really knows why the former West Indies T20 captain has enraged some Caribbean fans.
However, Pollard isn’t sweating one bit. He flipped the narrative around, saying it is not surprising that “they have become the laughing stock of cricket.”
“It (winning the title) means a lot, but one thing I will say, there are three countries in the Caribbean where we have played, the booing is boring now,” Cricbuzz quoted Pollard as saying.
“We are still the laughing stock of cricket in the West Indies. You have a guy who has represented the entire Caribbean over a period of time, putting them on the map in the format. But we still don’t appreciate him. I’m not bitter, but I feel sorry, not for myself,” he added.
‘Don’t politicise things’
Pollard, 38, said that his focus always remains on doing well for his team and that will never change despite the crowd’s antics.
“Kieron Pollard has played cricket, that’s what I know. I got the opportunity, God has given me a talent, and I have represented my family and my country. I don’t politicise things, I do it because I love the game, I love the sport,” said Pollard.
“This means a lot, five-time champions, but it’s quite ironic that we are still the laughing stock of cricket in the world,” he added.
It must be stated that in 2019, Pollard was booed mercilessly at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. He then questioned the integrity of the fans in the region, saying it speaks a lot about their nature when they provide a hostile reception to a player who has represented the West Indies for so many years.
“It’s amazing to know that I’m right from Trinidad and Tobago, and you walk into the cricket ground, as much as you’re supporting a team, and booing a West Indies player as well; so that goes to show the kind of characters we have going around the Caribbean,” Pollard had said.
Speaking of the CPL 2025 final, the Trinbago Knight Riders chased down the target of 131 with three wickets in hand and 12 balls to spare. In the summit clash, Pollard played a knock of 21 runs off 12 balls with the help of three sixes. As a result of this victory, TKR won their fifth CPL title.
