'Old blokes win stuff': T20 legends to square off

Dan Christian says "old blokes win stuff", and the upcoming T20 series between Australia and the West Indies will feature a lot of old blokes who have won a lot of stuff.

The five-match T20 campaign that begins on Saturday morning AEST will see three of the five most decorated players in the history of men's 20-over cricket take part, including the two players who have won more T20 titles than anyone (see list below).

West Indies veterans Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo have an eye-watering 29 T20 titles between them, with Pollard (15) edging out his Trinidadian teammate (14).

The trophy haul of the Windies pair dwarfs Christian's impressive resume, which features nine T20 titles, the same number as Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga.

Pakistan veteran Shoaib Malik (12 titles) is also no stranger to lifting a T20 trophy or two, while West Indians Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons (who will also feature against the Aussies this week) and Sunil Narine (who is currently out of the national side) have eight titles each, as does Indian star Rohit Sharma.

It's no coincidence that three of the most decorated T20 players – Pollard, Rohit and Malinga – are long-standing members of the hugely successful Mumbai Indians side, which has won the Indian Premier League five times to go with two title wins in the now defunct T20 Champions League.

And it was Mumbai's fifth IPL title late last year that handed Pollard the edge over Bravo, a fact not lost on the man himself.

"Dwayne Bravo, you're behind now and I'm in front of you," Pollard said after the 2020 IPL final. "(I) just had to say it on camera."

Much like Pollard, who has won seven titles with Mumbai, the bulk of Bravo's wins have essentially come with one team. The 37-year-old won three tournaments with Trinidad & Tobago between 2008 and 2013 and, more recently, a further four championships in the rebranded Caribbean Premier League with the Trinbago Knight Riders, who are also based on his home island.

Shoaib (eight titles in Pakistan's T20 Cup) has also won the bulk of his silverware in the same competition, but Christian's nine T20 wins have come with eight different clubs.

The 38-year-old, who earned a late recall to Australia's squad and looks set to take on the Windies this weekend, has won titles in Australia with South Australia, Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers while he's also tasted success in England (three times), South Africa and the Caribbean.

The veteran's stirring pre-game address to his Sixers teammates ahead of last summer's BBL|10 final, where he singled out all 18 players in the squad as having played a crucial role in their successful campaign, was later credited as a significant moment in the Sydney club going on to win the title.

"He just instils belief," teammate Steve O'Keefe said at the time. "The guy just doesn't know how to lose."

Bravo, like Christian, has long been a vocal supporter of the global game's elder statesmen in T20 cricket, pointing to the recent success of Chris Gayle (41) and South African veteran Imran Tahir (42) beyond their 40th birthdays.

"Forty is the new 30," he said last year. "Anyone who challenges or questions our age – I don't think any one of us, our performance has dipped or dropped because of our age. 

"As a matter of fact, most of us even perform just as good or even better.

"Age is just a number. Don't judge a player by his age, but judge him by his performance and his ability to continue to play.

"You can't beat experience."

The one title that Christian does not have in his trophy cabinet, as opposed to the eight others who have won at least eight trophies, is the one that has eluded all Australians for almost 15 years – the T20 World Cup.

A record he will be desperate to change later this year.

Most men's T20 title wins

Kieron Pollard (Age: 34) | 15 titles from 545 matches

5 x IPL, 2 x Champions League, 2 x Caribbean T20 league, 2 x CPL, 1 x T20 World Cup, 1 x BPL, 1 x Ram Slam, 1 x Stanford 20/20

Dwayne Bravo (37) | 14 titles from 482 matches

4 x CPL, 2 x T20 World Cup, 2 x IPL, 2 x Caribbean league, 1 x Champions League, 1 x PSL, 1 x BPL, 1 x Stanford 20/20

Shoaib Malik (39) | 12 titles from 425 matches 

8 x Pakistan T20 Cup, 1 x T20 World Cup, 1 x CPL, 1 x BPL, 1 x Lanka PL

Dan Christian (38) | 9 titles from 350 matches

3 x BBL, 3 x England T20 league, 1 x Big Bash, 1 x CPL, 1 x Mzanzi League (South Africa)

Lasith Malinga (37) | 9 titles from 294 matches

4 x IPL, 2 x Sri Lanka T20 league, 1 x Champions League, 1 x T20 World Cup, 1 x England T20 Cup

Andre Russell (33) | 8 titles from 361 matches

2 x T20 World Cups, 2 x CPL, 2 x BPL, 1 x BBL, 1 x PSL

Sunil Narine (33) | 8 titles from 355 matches

3 x Caribbean T20 league, 2 x IPL, 2 x CPL, 2 x T20 World Cup

Rohit Sharma (34) | 8 titles from 350 matches

6 x IPL, 1 x T20 World Cup, 1 x Champions League

Lendl Simmons (36) | 8 titles from 266 matches

3 x Caribbean T20 league, 2 x IPL, 1 x T20 World Cup, 1 x CPL, 1 x Stanford

(Includes victories in domestic T20 finals and T20 World Cup finals only)

Qantas Tour of the West Indies 2021

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Nathan Ellils, Tanveer Sangha.

West Indies T20 squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran (vc), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr

T20 series
(all matches at the Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia)

First T20: July 10, 9.30am AEST (July 9, 7.30pm local)

Second T20: July 11, 9.30am AEST (July 10, 7.30pm local)

Third T20: July 13, 9.30am AEST (July 12, 7.30pm local)

Fourth T20: July 15, 9.30am AEST (July 14, 7.30pm local)

Fifth T20: July 17, 9.30am AEST (July 16, 7.30pm local)

ODI series
(all matches at Kensington Oval, Barbados)

First ODI (D/N): July 21, 4.30am AEST (July 20, 2.30pm local)

Second ODI (D/N): July 23, 4.30am AEST (July 22, 2.30pm local)

Third ODI (D/N): July 25, 4.30am AEST (July 24, 2.30pm local)

* Details of five-match T20 tour of Bangladesh are yet to be announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Tours are subject to agreement on bio-security arrangements and relevant government approvals.