CAPE TOWN, South Africa, CMC – Mumbai Indians Cape Town captain Kieron Pollard said he was hoping to inspire his side to a turnaround in fortunes after a disappointing maiden season in the SA20 tournament, starting on Tuesday.
The retired West Indies white-ball captain is leading the side because Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan is unavailable currently and continues his recovery from back surgery.
MI Cape Town won only three of their 10 matches in the inaugural season of the SA20 last year, finishing last of the six franchises in the tournament.
They are hoping that Pollard, a five-time winner of the Indian Premier League, two-time champion of the Caribbean Premier League, and inaugural winner of the Major League Cricket, could spur them to better results and the title.
“I’ve been here before,” he said about Cape Town during a news conference on Monday that featured all six captains in the tournament. “I’ve enjoyed the city. I’ve enjoyed Newlands, and I’ve enjoyed the fans, so I’ve come and tried to make a difference. Obviously, from a team perspective, we didn’t do as well as we thought we should have.
“So now we just want to give the fans something to cheer about. For me, I’m in the twilight of my career, so it’s about enjoyment and hopefully passing on the experience to the younger guys.”
The MI Cape Town squad include players the calibre of South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, England T20 World Cup-winning left-handed all-rounder Sam Curran, and experienced South Africa batsman Rassie van der Dussen.
MI Cape Town open their campaign on the road against last year’s fifth-placed side, Durban Super Giants on Thursday at Kingsmead Stadium.
