JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CMC) — A knee injury has ruled West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard out of the remainder of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge and the Australia Big Bash, starting next month.

The 28-year-old picked up the injury while fielding on Sunday in the contest in Paarl between his Cape Cobras and Knights. He returned to play a match-winning innings of a 12-ball unbeaten 23, but has failed to recover significantly.

“We are severely disappointed about the loss of a stalwart like Kieron,” said Cape Cobras’ coach Paul Adams.

“Kieron has given his all. The fact that he went out to bat after he got injured, underlines his dedication and commitment to the team. He has been an inspiration to the whole squad.”

Pollard’s absence will be a huge blow to Cape Cobras, especially after helping them to the Ram Slam title last season, taking 14 wickets and scoring 243 runs. The performance earned him Player-of-the-Tournament honours.

The Trinidadian was also expected to turn out for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash, starting December 17. South Australian Cricket Association high performance General Manager Tim Nielsen said the player would be hard to replace at this stage.

“This is obviously terrible news and our first concern is that Kieron can make a full recovery from his injury,” the Australian said.

“Kieron is a unique player because he has all-round ability as a batsman, bowler and fielder, so it’s going to be difficult to replace him, but we’re investigating all options and will try to find the best fit for the team.

“Our first match against the Melbourne Stars is less than four weeks away now, so there’s a lot of work to do, but we’re confident we can find a suitable replacement.”

Pollard was set to return to the Caribbean yesterday.