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of the T20 format that had just started to spread its
wings in 2007. The inaugural World T20 happened and
his strokeplay in that showpiece event is still to date
regarded as one of the best in cricket’s history. Not
only did he become the first Indian to smash 6 sixes in
an over but he also produced a free-wheeling assault
in the semifinal against Australia as India surged into
the finals and eventually became the champions.
The defining moment of Brendon McCullum’s T20
career in the shortest format of the game, undoubtedly
has to be his unbeaten 158 against RCB, in the
first match of the inaugural IPL in 2008. The innings
included as many as 13 sixes. He became the first
man to score 1000 runs in T20 Internationals, and
the first player to score two T20I centuries. One of
his best performances in the format came in 2010
against Australia in Christchurch, when McCullum
ramped and toppled on his way to an unbeaten 116,
scooping Shaun Tait thunderbolts consistently for
sixes, and recklessly led his team to what proved to
be a match-winning total of 214.
An aggressive batsman, with a penchant to clear the
India’s Yuvraj Singh, Kiwi Brendon McCullum and
West Indies: Kieron Pollard Headline Toronto
Nationals’ GT20 Canada 2019 Honours Quest!
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Three of the international cricket’s most exciting and
accomplished T20 stars, India’s Yuvraj Singh, New
Zealand’s Brendon McCullum and West Indies’ Kieron
Pollard will be at the helm of the Toronto Nationals’
‘quest for much improved performances during this
year’s GT20 Canada 2019 Tournament. Not unlike
their Edmonton Hawks and Montreal Tigers fellow
competitors, the Toronto Nationals also finished with
an unimpressive played 6, won 2, lost 4 at the end of
last year’s GT20 Canada Tournament.
The presence of Singh, McCullum and Pollard will
undoubtedly bolster the Nationals batting efforts.
Their respective outstanding performances as international
T20 batters has been well recorded. Such
was Yuvraj’s ability with the bat that he was well ahead
boundary with ease, Kieron Pollard relies on hitting
the ball out of the park. He is a little susceptible against
spinners and often gets out to them unable to pick
which way it is going. A dibbly-dobbly medium pacer,
he often rolls his fingers over the ball and bowls his
leg cutters on a consistent basis. As a fielder, Pollard
is one of the best in the world and has taken some unbelievable
catches. An all-round fielder who can field
at any position, he uses his long reach to good effect.
It was only a matter of time before Kieron Pollard
hit his straps in the Indian T20 League. His uncanny
knack of plundering biggies at will prompted Mumbai
to retain him so far. One of the most sought after
players in the shortest form of the game, Pollard has
also plied his trade for Somerset, Dhaka Gladiators
and Barbados Tridents.
The combined presence of Singh. McCullum and Pollard
should produce a marked improvement on the Nationals
2018 batting which was highlighted by Anton Devcich’s
204 Runs Avg 40.80 SR 147.8 and Steven Smith’s 140
runs Avg 33.40 SR 119.29
The Nationals will also be hoping for New Zealand’s
Trent Boult, supported perhaps by the Canadians
Jeremy Gordon and Rodrigo Thomas, to lead a much
improved bowling performance. During 2018 the
Nationals had the unenviable record of having taken
the least amount of wickets among all competing
Franchises. The West Indians Kieron Pollard, 5 wickets
at a 25.6 average and Kesrick Williams 4 wickets,
average 47.75 were the Nationals best bowlers in 2018.
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