I have been constantly targeted by umpires: Kieron Pollard

MUMBAI: Be it his explosive hitting, leaping catches or his on-field antics, Kieron Pollard has been in the spotlight all the time. Rewind to 2014, when Pollard had made headlines for throwing his bat in disgust against Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Mitchell Starc at the Wankhede. Four weeks back, the tall Trinidadian taped his mouth in protest during Mumbai Indians' encounter against RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium after being warned by on-field umpire Vineet Kulkarni for sledging fellow West Indian Chris Gayle.
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In an exclusive chat with TOI on Monday, terming the tape incident as his 'funniest moment in IPL', Pollard went on to say that umpires have been targeting him since last year. The Mumbai Indians batsman has already amassed 309 runs from 12 games @34.33 in IPL 8 including two fifties.
"In T20, you need to be competitive. West Indians share a bit of banter and poke each other funnily but for umpires to take it that way is a bit too much. I have been constantly targeted by umpires and referees. So, I made up my mind to just shut up. I went to my physio and got the tape before putting it on my mouth. It was the only way I could show my disagreement. As he should understand that when you are playing in a tournament of such competitive nature stuff like sledging is bound to happen and one should not take it in a negative way. It's just for fun," said Pollard after being appointed as the brand ambassador for Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) tourism along with countrymate Dwayne Bravo.
Pollard, who will have a quiet birthday celebration with his wife Jenna on Tuesday when he turns 28, spoke on a range of topics from what makes the Caribbean Boys such a potent force in the IPL, Bravo being the better dancer than him and West Indian cricketers being branded as mercenaries.
Excerpts:
What makes West Indians the most sought-after in the IPL and entertaining T20 cricketers to watch?
It comes naturally to us – the aggressive brand of cricket, going for big shots, the dynamic fielding, celebration and stuff. Dancing is an expression of joy and Superman or Gangnam Style celebration is part of Windies culture. These things just happen as its part of our nature and we want to enjoy everything we do on the field. IPL is a platform where we get an opportunity to showcase those skills. In India, where cricket is widely followed, I am glad that we are able to bring a smile on the face of our fans. We West Indians feel there are enough serious things to do in life. So, our approach has always been carefree. For us everything is a party. We come from a culture where carrying alcohol publicly is cool while in India you cannot do that.
The likes of (Andre) Russell and (Lendl) Simmons have been doing really well this season. Your views on that...
Russell and Simmons are great players. In fact most guys from the Caribbean have been doing well including Bravo. They just love to play Twenty20 and that reflects on their performance. It's good to see them putting up a dominant show and I hope that they continue to play like that.
With two games remaining and MI placed sixth in the points tally, do you think you still have a chance to qualify?
We have to win both our games that's what we got to do and I guess if we do that we have a chance to enter the playoffs. We need to enter a game with positive intent. That's our plan.
What makes AB de Villiers, who hit a 59-ball 133 against MI, so special? Have you yourself tried shots like the scoop and reverse scoop which De Villiers plays?
You have to ask him. But what I can say is that he has been doing this since long. Playing those shots is not easy but he makes it look so simple. My strength is playing with a straight bat so I have not tried them barring on a couple of occasions.
What is the state of cricket in T&T? Have you seen new talent emerge in the last few years?
We have got the most number of cricketers playing in the IPL – Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Simmons myself and Bravo. But we have to work on building cricket academies and creating good infrastructure for the game. IPL and the Caribbean Premier League are catching up with people and parents have started pushing their kids into the game. Having said that, we have got talented sportspersons emerging from our country — including footballer Dwight Yorke, who played for Manchester United, and javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott, who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
If there is a dancing competition between you and Bravo, who will win?
Definitely Bravo. He's really mad having cut a Tamil music album. You can't expect me to dance and sing like that ever.
You have been promoted in the batting order. Does it add to any pressure?
When you are batting at No. 4 or 5 you get more time to relax and build an innings as compared to the No. 7 spot. So I don't think there's any pressure. Pressure is when fans are pointing at you with placards to hit a six on the very first ball you are facing. So, I practice well and try to make the fans happy. I have been injury-free and batting at my best and that's what I intend to do for as many years possible.
It's unlikely for a big guy like you to be plucking those catches from the air. How do you prepare yourself to field like that?
I don't do much fielding (laughs). I have a broken finger since last three-four years but fielding is about attitude. People expect a tall guy to just send accurate throws from the boundary but it gives me joy when I am able to take those difficult catches. I don't do much for that (laughs again). Actually I work really hard on my fitness and I guess that shows.
West Indian cricketers have been branded as mercenaries and have no regard for international cricket. You yourself have been associated with the Big Bash, CPL and IPL. Your view.
That's really wrong. We are professionals and are paid to play cricket that's what I think. One shouldn't judge us just because we get to earn big bucks via playing for so many leagues. I am not selected for playing Tests and I don't have any regrets. I am paid for what I do best and I am happy doing what I do.
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