While Kieron Pollard had a rough CPL season, battling form and injury for Trinbago Knight Riders, a certain other Pollard has emerged on the scene this season. Meet 18-year-old left-arm quick Jakeem Pollard (he isn't related to Kieron) who has hit speeds north of 140kph and generated steep bounce for Barbados Tridents in his maiden CPL stint.
Jakeem has struck Nicholas Pooran on his helmet, bounced out Sunil Narine, and has even had Andre Russell ducking for cover.
After facing Jakeem at the nets for the first time, Tridents captain Chris Green went to coach Trevor Penny and said: "This guy's got to play."
Jakeem had to wait until the home leg in Barbados for his CPL debut, but it was probably worth the wait. He took four wickets at an economy rate of 7.46 in four games, all of which Tridents won to make the playoffs. In the lead-up to the knockouts, he took out Rovman Powell, Keemo Paul and Keacy Carty, who have all played international cricket, in Bridgetown on September 12. Green sees him growing into a key player for the franchise.
"I said I don't care how and we just have to pick him," Green said. "So great to see him get his opportunity back here in Barbados. He's a key figure of our side now and to our success in Barbados in particular. The young group - I see that as our identity.
"They're our Bajan players and that's our core group. We've got some experienced overseas players and experienced players from other countries - Brandon King from Jamaica, Sherfane Rutherford from Guyana, Gudakesh Motie from Guyana, our core Barbados group is our identity. I believe they are the guys that are going to get us over the line and are going to capture the 12th man, and the Barbados crowd."
Moeen Ali, the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons captain and a CPL regular in recent times, has also liked what he's seen of Pollard and wants him to be fast-tracked into West Indies' senior white-ball team. West Indies' white-ball teams have been crying out for a left-arm seamer since Obed McCoy was dropped.
Earlier this year, Pollard represented West Indies in the Under-19 World Cup, picking up six wickets in four innings at an average of 20.33 and economy rate of under four.
"Pollard has been really impressive. I have seen him bowl in Under-19s," Moeen said. "He's quick and so always kept an eye on him. To watch him bowl the way he's bowled so far when he's played I think he's been the most impressive. I would probably pick him straightaway in the West Indies side because he's different. He's left-arm, he's tall and he gets that bounce. He's quick and only going to get better with a more professional, international sort of environment. So, he's really someone to watch in the future."
After moving to Falcons, his home franchise, Alzarri Joseph has enjoyed a second wind of sorts, emerging as their highest wicket-taker this season with 14 strikes in eight innings at an economy rate of 9.23. Alzarri isn't a T20I regular for West Indies or franchise teams around the world, but Moeen believes he can be a potent bowler in white-ball cricket as well.
"He's very different to what you see on TV," Moeen said. "Very quiet, brilliant team man. I think he can be a great white-ball bowler just like Jayden Seales. They've just been pigeonholed as red-ball bowlers. But they've been brilliant for us. I think they've got potential to be even better in white-ball. But I think they just need a bit of direction and clarity on how to go about things and backing.
"Alzarri has got all the attributes - pace, swing. It's just knowing when to bowl what. I think he's getting there. If you get him right and get him on your side, he's a brilliant guy to have in your team."
The emergence of Jakeem and re-emergence of Alzarri has added more depth to WI's T20 pace pack, which already includes Matthew Forde and Shamar Joseph, who has cranked it up to 150kph in this CPL.
"I think it's great they have started to have that [fast-bowling firepower] again," Moeen said. "I think it was missing or lacking in probably the last few years but Shamar... I've played with him at Guyana. He's been brilliant since I've seen him bowl and obviously he's done well in Test cricket. In white-ball [cricket], he's starting to nail his yorkers and his bounce is proper."