Kieron Pollard Is Back! Here's The Story Of A Mumbai Indians Giant Who Fought Hardships And Returned

Two-time Indian Premier League winner Kieron Pollard has slammed the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over its treatment of the players, saying he and his World Cup-winning team mates are totally fed up with them. The big-hitting all-rounder implored WICB officials to lower their egos and display greater sense of compromise towards the players.

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The World T20 Absentee

Pollard, who is preparing for his return to high-profile cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Mumbai Indians, was the most-notable absentee from the West Indies World T20 team, alongside Sunil Narine. He tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) on the right knee during South Africa's Ram Slam T20 on November 22 last year, while playing for Cape Cobras.

"I was very proud of how the boys played during the World Cup. I knew they were on a mission," Pollard told Cricbuzz. "Despite all the well-advertised problems, the senior guys rose to the occasion and for this tournament, no doubt the IPL experience in the team made a big difference."

Pollard, who arrived in India on the day of the final and was a guest with Star Sports in their Mumbai studio, echoed statements from Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle in support of Darren Sammy's scathing post-match criticism of the WICB.

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Pollard The Victim Of WICB's Tactics

"Every ball of the semifinal and final I watched and Sammy's statement touched my heart. We players have had enough," Pollard stated forcefully.

"I believe I was victimized throughout 2015 and left out of the 50-over World Cup squad. That so-called task force the WICB set up said all three parties in players, WICB and WIPA shared equal blame for the India pull out - yet only myself and Bravo suffered.

"I know what the response will be. We'll all be told that the financial consequences have affected funding for cricket at all levels in the Caribbean and, whilst smiling on one level, in hushed tones behind your back it's said that Bravo and Pollard must pay for it. That's what's happening. But nobody for WICB or WIPA lost their jobs. There is no shared responsibility or 'blame'. We as players stand by our actions and our reasons, but we are still open to communication and compromise."

He further noted that the win, and commitment showed to achieve it, should prove to fans and media that they have always been committed to West Indies cricket, in spite of assertions that they just cared about playing for money.

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"We have been called all sorts of names, money-grabbing cricketers and mercenaries. But our ambition to play for West Indies and help the team rise and brings smiles on the fans' faces, as the guys showed in India, has always been there.

"However if you are dealing with a board who shows you no respect, what do you expect us players to do when we get offers to play around the world? Why can't some of the board members lower their egos, if they can learn to compromise with us players we will too. It's that simple."

Battling Career Threatening Injuries

Speaking about his aforementioned injury which caused him to pull out of the World Cup squad, Pollard noted he was worried that it was career threatening. "I had a very similar injury on my left knee in 2013 and during the rehabilitation at times, I wasn't sure when I was going to come back" Pollard disclosed.

"The diagnosis was that recovery can be 6-9 months for many athletes. I had my surgery in December with Dr Freddie Fuu in Pittsburg, same as last time, and worked with the same physios as last time, so I was in familiar territory in terms of recovery and knew my body heals fast.

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"I want the fans to understand I tried my best to rush back in time for the World Cup at the three month juncture (February) because I wanted to play. But although mentally I was ready, coming back so soon would have risked my recovery. The long term effects of being reckless and coming back too soon and re-rupturing the ligaments are way too significant. That really is career-threatening. So I listened to the sound medical advice around me."

It's West Indies Cricket Vs Test Cricket

West Indies winning the World Cup has brought forward suggestions that it could signal a death to Test cricket in minds of the players and Caribbean cricket fans. Pollard disputed that, whilst touching on his own Test ambitions. "Of course there are cricketers that want to play Test cricket. Yes the WICB have implemented the Professional Cricket league (PCL) - but for anyone who observes our domestic cricket would know if you perform in that, it doesn't guarantee you will make it in Tests or international level.

"What happens next, is the board going to implement more A-team tours which is very important? Or are we going to keep picking players from the PCL who aren't ready and after throwing them into the deep - everybody comes down on them when they fail?" Pollard queried.

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"I took an indefinite break from first-class cricket in 2015 as my body told me to. But also now seeing the confusing selector's criteria for picking players in that format and the events in India which changed the Memorandum of Understanding/Collecting Bargaining Agreement (MOU/CBA) pay structure contracts for Tests, do I regret that decision? No.

"They (selectors) never selected me for Tests and I was labelled a one-day specialist without ever getting a chance to prove myself in the longer format.

"But injuring both ACLs now that would further hinder my ability to play the longer format even more so I'm pretty sure that horse has bolted now. As a boy growing up, the ambition was always to play Test cricket for West Indies. But considering all these things that I mentioned and the cricketing landscape that has changed so drastically since I was a boy, after a while one realises maybe that dream won't become a reality," he said.