Despite the presence of three former international Captains in their squad, West Indies’Darren Sammy, Australia’s Steve Smith and Pakistan’s Kamran Akmal, as well as the current IPl stalwart, the hard-hitting batsman, useful part-time bowler and outstanding fielder Kieron Pollard, the Toronto Nationals failed to fire in its Global T20 Inaugural Season. The Nationals lost four of the six matches played and failed to even make the playoffs.
New Zealand’s Anton Devcich was the Toronto Nationals highest run scorer. Devcich amassed 204 runs from six innings batted at an impressive average of 40.8 and a highly commendable 147.83 strike rate. Former Australian Captain Steve Smith (167), Trinidad’s Kieron Pollard(110) and Canadian Captain Nitish Kumar (102) were the only other Nationals batsmen with run aggregates over 100.
In the bowling department Pollard emerges as the Toronto Nationals highest wicket-taker. His five wickets were taken at an average of 25.6 and a 6.4 economy rate. Jamaica’s Kesrick Williams was National next highest wicket taker with four scalps captured at a 47.75 average and a 10.05 economy rate.
In addition to Nitish Kumar, the current Canadian national Captain, the Toronto Nationals featured three other local players: Nikhil Dutta, Farfan Malik and Umair Ghani.
Kumar played six matches batted five times and scored an aggregate 102 runs at an average of 20.4. His strike rate was an impressive 150. He registered one fifty (55) in his five knocks.
Nikhil Dutta appeared in four of the Royal’s matches but only had two chances at bat, scoring a paltry total of nine runs at a strike rate of 60.
In the solitary match he played Umair Ghani’s three wicket less overs cost 40 runs at a whopping economy rate of 13.33