ADELAIDE, Australia, CMC – West Indies Twenty20 star Kieron Pollard will be heading back to Adelaide Strikers for the Big Bash League next December, and the south Australian franchise is anxiously awaiting his arrival.
The batting all-rounder signed a three-year deal with Strikers back in 2014 but missed out on last year’s campaign after picking up a knee injury in the South African Ram Slam in a month before the start of the tournament.
Without him, Strikers topped the standings following the preliminary round but lost in the semi-finals to eventual champions, Sydney Thunder.
Strikers general manager, Bronwyn Klei, said Pollard’s presence along with that of England leg-spinner, Adil Rashid, would be pivotal to the upcoming campaign.
“We’re preparing for a big BBL 06 next summer as we look to build on our finals appearances in the past two seasons,” Klei said.
“Having enjoyed a stellar debut season with the Strikers, Adil Rashid will be contracted again for next summer’s competition, while we’ll also be welcoming back a rejuvenated Kieron Pollard who is showing some of his best form with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.”
Playing competitively for the first time since the injury last year, Pollard made a slow start to the current IPL campaign but come into his own with a couple of match-winning innings for Mumbai.
He struck a whirlwind, unbeaten 39 last month in victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore, smashed 51 not out to help turn back Kolkata Knight Riders a week later and last week blasted an unbeaten 35 to help Mumbai beat RCB for a second time.
Pollard is one of the world’s most experienced Twenty20 campaigners, having scored over 6000 runs from 311 games, and taken 214 wickets.
