In what was a shock to Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Ricky Skerrit, West Indies white-ball Captain Kieron Pollard recently announced his retirement from international cricket.

Aged 34, he has had a long career, having made his debut for the region in 2007 during that year’s World Cup campaign.

It was a shock to the fans as well because most would have expected the big Trindadian to have continued leading the side a bit longer, at least until the upcoming Twenty20 (T20) World Cup, which is due to take place in October and November this year.

Come to think of it, however, it’s not all that surprising that he has decided to step aside. Beginning in 2019, his tenure at the top, though starting with some promise, has been rather rocky. Considering what went on before, his elevation was widely heralded by many as a good move on the part of the authorities. Yet he, and all those who were in his corner, would have wished for significantly better results.

The Trinidadian had long been one of the game’s foremost T20 players and had gathered a wealth of experience captaining T20 sides the world over. Widely regarded as an astute tactician, he was assertive, demonstrative, and seemed to view his role as one of nurturing the considerable number of exciting, fledgling talents he had playing under his leadership.

Having played well over 600 white-ball games before his appointment to the captaincy, it was thought he was the right man for the job.

It didn’t hurt either that those in the know regarded Pollard’s leadership elevation as a wise move. “I’ve always admired his captaincy,” offered West Indian great Sir Vivian Richards. “I’ve always felt that, when he played the first CPL [Caribbean Premier League] T20 at home, he was the best captain. I think Barbados Tridents went on to win it [in 2014], and he was the best captain in my opinion, more proactive than the rest of the captains we would have seen. I think he’s in a good place.” Brian Lara also lent his support and spoke of his countryman being named captain as a “step in the right direction”.

Still, a captain is only as good as his team. No matter how cunning, there is not much a captain can do with a team that’s not up to the challenge. The best tactician in the world still needs players capable of executing whatever plans he may devise.

There is, for example, nothing a captain can do during a game to protect batsmen intent on committing suicide, or to improve the technique of those incapable of combatting the opposition’s bowling or the prevailing batting conditions. What can he do to impose discipline on bowlers adamant on serving up wides or half-trackers? It is therefore doubtful, if not impossible, that there can ever be a good captain of a bad team.

And that has been one of Pollard’s main problems. The likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Marlon Samuels, and Dwayne Bravo were limited overs greats, but, for the most part, they were either absent or in decline, and the new young players like Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh Jr, Shimron Hetmyer, Obed McCoy, Romario Shepherd, and Odean Smith, though showing much promise, have not yet achieved the level of consistency that would make them world-beaters.

And, despite winning T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2016 and having some of the most recognisable names in cricket’s briefest format, the West Indies were almost always listed near the bottom of the T20 and One-Day Interntional (ODI) rankings.

Pollard captained the West Indies in 61 matches in both formats, winning 25 and losing 31. It is not the worst record, but he and the fans would have been hoping for better, and he must have been disappointed he could not have inspired better performances from his charges.

His own form during this time was patchy. He has long been one of the biggest hitters in the game and won many a match for the myriad teams he represented. But at the international level, especially, he hasn’t been the most reliable player.

He arrived on the first-class scene during the 2006-2007 season as a frighteningly big-hitting batter, capable of belting the ball out of the ground with the merest flick. That power and his returns that season — scoring 420 runs in 10 innings, with two centuries and an average of 42 — catapulted him to the 2007 World Cup squad.

But he never achieved the level of consistency at the international level that would place him amongst its elite players. And a number of fans seemed to think of him as little more than a bludgeoner of the cricket ball, a player to call upon when you needed sixes, but one to avoid when a subtler approach was required.

In time, Pollard did improve as an all-round batter. In Sydney in 2013, during an ODI, he made 109 off 136 balls, an innings that indicated, at least to me, that he had the wherewithal to fulfil his stated desire of playing in Tests.

He joined the action with the West indies in dire trouble at 17/3 and stayed until the end — with wickets tumbling at the other end — to guide his side to 221. We were already well aware of his power and timing, but that innings showed he had the patience and the defensive technique required to play all formats.

In the end, Pollard never made it to Tests. Being so occupied on the T20 circuit never afforded him much time to invest in red-ball cricket. Additionally, his international appearances were limited by the incessant conflicts between the previous Cricket West Indies administration and those senior players who were amongst the most-sought-after T20 guns for hire.

A new approach by the current administration allowed every player a clean slate, and Pollard, long regarded as one of the better thinkers in the game, was given the opportunity to lead the white-ball outfits. It was a reasonable decision at the time, considering the options available.

He played the role as well as could be expected and should not be blamed for the limited advance the teams made. It is doubtful that anyone could have done significantly better given the current state of affairs.

Garfield Robinson is a Jamaican living in the US who writes on cricket for a few Indian and English publications. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or garfield.v.robinson@gmail.com