‘HE’S A GENIUS’: NARINE, AMIR PRAISE SKIPPER KIERON POLLARD AFTER NEW YORK STRIKERS WIN FOURTH GAME IN A ROW
6th December 2023: New York Strikers continued their winning streak in Abu Dhabi T10 on Tuesday, as last season’s runners-up went past Team Abu Dhabi to clinch their fourth win in a row. With Rahmanullah Gurbaz continuing his blistering form on top and scoring 26-ball 41, and a late 7-ball 17 from Odean Smith, Strikers registered a solid total of 110/5 in 10 overs on a tricky batting surface.
Sunil Narine and Mohammad Amir bowled well to shackle the opposition in the chase. Narine registered figures of 16/2 while Amir gave away just 8 runs in his 2 overs as Team Abu Dhabi could only muster 86/5 in 10 overs and lost by 24 runs.
Speaking after the match, Narine praised skipper Kieron Pollard for his decision-making and described the result as a team win.
“I think it has been total teamwork this season. Every day it’s a different guy who is performing for the team. Everyone is putting up their hands. Everyone is enjoying everyone’s success and that has been the key this season. Because of the support staff, we have a relaxed environment. We are winning from good margins. We are taking game-by-game. We do not want to think too far ahead,” Narine said.
“I have played under Pollard’s captaincy for many years. He is a bit calm nowadays but he has a good head on his shoulder. He thinks of all the aspects and he helps us in every match,” he added.
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Amir said that the Strikers still need to win a few more games to win the trophy. “It feels good when you win. But it’s still a long way to go. We need to win both our games to finish on top. We need to carry this momentum. In shorter formats, we don’t have a margin of error. So, we need to continue our form.”
“Experience matters a lot, but it’s all about execution. You have to back yourself. When I go out there, I try to execute my plans. As seniors, our responsibility is to convey the knowledge to the youngsters. It’s my job. Pollard is a genius. He is the most experienced among all of us and he is doing amazingly well leading the side. So it’s a good environment in the team,” Amir signed off.
New York Strikers owner Mr Sagar Khanna further added: “This has been a good season for us so far – but in T10 anything can change very quickly. One good over or bad over can shift the momentum. We are delighted with the performance of our boys and we are confident that they will continue to work hard to ensure we maintain our streak.”