Graeme Smith, former South Africa captain and current SA20 commissioner, has praised West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard for his competitiveness and experience following Pollard’s move to Joburg Super Kings (JSK) from MI Cape Town (MICT) ahead of the SA20 league’s fifth edition.
The player auction on October 10 saw one of the most notable franchise changes in T20 cricket, with Pollard, long associated with Mumbai Indians (MI) and its sister franchises, signed by JSK for R1.5 million. His appearance in JSK’s yellow colours is expected to be a significant storyline for the upcoming SA20 season.
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Speaking to the media after the auction, Smith said, “Pollard is one of the most experienced T20 players in the world. I mean, the amount of games that he has played, the different competitions around the world. Just to have Pollard around and the experience that he will pass on to the likes of those under-23 players like Rawles (Jason Rawles, the most expensive SA20 season five signing) would be great, them sitting with him behind the scenes, never mind playing with them.”
He added, Also, Pollard has always been quite
He added, “Also, Pollard has always been quite a forthright character. He does not really mince his words and is highly competitive. Bringing that kind of energy in our tournament is exciting. Obviously, it is a storyline with his history with MI. I would obviously let Albie (Albie Morkel, the JSK coach) and Robin (Robin Peterson, the head coach of MICT) talk about their strategies between the two teams. But from a league’s perspective, to have that quality of players is always exciting.”
Pollard represented MI in the Indian Premier League from 2010 to 2022 and played for MI Cape Town in SA20, MI New York in Major League Cricket, and MI Emirates in the International League T20 over the years.
Currently, Pollard serves as Mumbai Indians’ batting coach and is head coach of MI London in The Hundred cricket competition in the UK. He continues to play for MI Emirates and MI New York in ILT20 and MLC respectively. His move to JSK, a franchise that has reached the SA20 playoffs four times, aims to strengthen their bid to win their first SA20 title. So far, the tournament titles have been claimed three times by Sunrisers Eastern Cape and once by MI Cape Town in 2025.
During his 12-year tenure with Mumbai Indians, Pollard
During his 12-year tenure with Mumbai Indians, Pollard scored 583 runs against CSK in 27 matches and 23 innings at an average of 36.44 and a strike rate nearing 172, including four half-centuries and a highest score of 87 not out. He also took 14 wickets at an average of 27.57, with best bowling figures of 2 for 12.
Pollard is the second-highest run-scorer in T20 internationals, with 14,999 runs in 754 matches and 651 innings at an average of 31.71 and a strike rate of nearly 151, including two centuries and 71 half-centuries. With the ball, he has claimed 341 wickets at an average of 25.36, with best figures of 4 for 15.
In SA20, representing MI Cape Town during the 2023/24 and 2025/26 seasons, Pollard scored 207 runs in 11 innings at an average of 29.57 and a strike rate of 171.07, with a top score of 33 not out. He has taken four wickets.
The fifth season of SA20 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, January 17, at St George’s Park, with defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape facing Pretoria Capitals in a repeat of last season’s final. The tournament will conclude with the final at Newlands on Sunday, February 21.
Source: thenewsmill.com
