Georgetown: Head coach Phil Simmons has praised the qualities of Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, and says the duo is an invaluable part of any West Indies One-day team set-up.
Both players played key roles as the West Indies beat South Africa by four wickets in the opening One-Day International (ODI) of the tri-nation series at the National Stadium here on Saturday, reports CMC.
Narine grabbed a career-best six for 27 to bundle out South Africa for 188, and Pollard smashed a run-a-ball unbeaten 67 to see the West Indies home.
“You just have to look at the game today. They are the two guys who took the game away from South Africa and it showed that they are very important to our cricket,” Simmons told reporters here after the match.
He added: “Narine himself, coming back from everything he’s been through, to come and perform the way he did … you have to give him a lot of kudos for his grit and his determination, to come out of where he’s been and to come back and perform like this”.
Narine was slapped with a bowling ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last November after he was reported for having a suspect illegal action on the one-day tour of Sri Lanka.
He underwent rehabilitation on his action and was subsequently cleared in April to resume bowling, but his outing in the just concluded IPL for KKR was muted. (IANS)
