When teams win titles the players get all the accolades but this time around the coach of the successful Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), Brendan McCullum, is heaping praises on manager Colin Borde after his team won the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) crown, to record their fourth lien on the trophy.
TKR defeated the St Lucia Zouks in the final of the tournament on Thursday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, to take away the title. They became the first team to play unbeaten for the entire season, winning all 12 matches on the trot.
McCullum speaking about the importance of the manager said: “'Manage' has a deep understanding about T&T, he cares dearly about T&T and is well connected in T&T and this works for us. He garners respect with the local guys who love and respect him dearly. The way he welcomes the overseas guys is also tremendous. They are included as friends and well-taken cared of. Colin is a massive positive for the TKR side.”
Borde has now won four CPL titles, as he was manager of the T&T Red Steel which won the title in 2015 as well and then three titles under the TKR banner.
"Colin has four titles and he has been the constant. Coaches come and go but he has remained there and my role is made easy because of Colin. Nothing is ever a problem. He makes things move, issues are dealt with officially.
"He breaks things down, processes them and then strategically put them back together for positive outcomes.”
The New Zealander also poked fun at Borde saying: “He is real fun, talks a bit too much but he is the heartbeat of the team. I am lucky to have him there. We work really well together. We have all found our niche in this my second year and as a new support staff they have done well.”
McCullum, who player under Borde’s management before turning coach, stressed the importance of off the field support.
“Success has a lot to do with structure off the field and this we have. 'Manage' is a champion bloke and we love him.”
Borde’s four CPL titles came in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020, while he managed the T&T Red Force to the second spot in the Champions League in 2009. He managed the T&T Red Force when it finished second in the Regional Four-Day tournament back in 2009. In addition to this, he got stints as manager of the West Indies A team and also the President’s XI. His success rate is tremendous as his Red Force team won the Stanford Trophy in 2009, while they twice won the Regional Super50 in 2008 and 2009.
Away from the cricket field, he is also a director at the firm Dream Big Management, a player management group, director - one-man outfit a videography and photography company, director at House Hunters Real Estate and a consultant at CB2000 Limited.
Added to all this, Borde is a commercial pilot and also served on the executive of the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB). He is also a former member of the Cricket West Indies marketing committee and a former sports consultant for the government on compliance when it came to dealing with National Governing Bodies.