‘Whatever opportunity I get, I’m happy’ – Kieron Pollard
Kieron Pollard, the Windies all-rounder, said he was delighted that his teammates could ensure a Caribbean presence at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in the United Kingdom after they finished second in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 in Zimbabwe last month.
The Windies had a fine tournament, coasting through the group stage, and winning all four matches, before securing the required two wins in the Super Sixes to seal a top-two slot. It meant they, along with Afghanistan, who beat them in the final, qualified for the marquee event next summer.
Pollard had to watch the goings-on from afar, having opted to play the Pakistan Super League, but he kept a close watch all the same.
“Congratulations to them for qualifying for the World Cup,” the Trinidadian said. “Obviously, as a West Indian cricketer, it's disappointing that we had to go through that sort of an avenue ... but I think the guys went and did a fantastic job.”
Pollard last played an international match in September last year, when he turned out for the Windies against England in a T20 International in Chester-le-Street. Pollard, 30, is considered a T20 specialist, having played 56 T20Is for the Windies in which he has scored 768 runs and picked up 23 wickets.
But he has also played 101 one-day internationals. With 2289 runs and 50 wickets in the format, he is an obvious asset, but his last appearance in the format came in 2016 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.
Pollard still held hope to add to that number. “I am still very much part of the West Indies international Twenty20 squad," he pointed out. “The 50-over cricket is still a bit up in air as to what they (Cricket West Indies) are thinking.”
Whichever way that goes, Pollard is in a “happy” place. In PSL 2018, he scored 165 runs and picked up five wickets for Multan Sultans. And he is currently in India for the Indian Premier League 2018, hoping to improve on those returns with Mumbai Indians.
“I am actually happy in my life,” he said. “Whatever opportunity I get to play, I am happy. Now I am focusing on the IPL ... and, after that, there are a couple of international series.”