Mumbai: Mumbai Indians all-rounder Kieron Pollard shone with bat and ball against Deccan Chargers to emerge as yet another hero for his side. Touted as the next big thing in T20 cricket, Pollard spoke to the media after the game.
Excerpts:
On bowling his full four overs today and getting wickets (2-26):
Yeah, good for me. I haven’t been doing much bowling but that is the composition of our team. We are very deep in terms of batting and bowling and it has been good for me, but, having said that, it has been a total team effort. We went out there, we played as a team and came out on top this evening.
On finally living up to his expectations today:
When you look at it, I haven’t been getting much opportunity to bat, [only] in some overs coming down to the end. One time I get the opportunity but it is all about winning and once the team is winning I am willing to be a part, if it is not batting [then] bowling [or] fielding, that’s part of the cricket as well. So just playing a part in the Mumbai Indians’ win is very important to me.
On whether he wishes to bat higher up in the order:
No, no, no, I am not saying that. We have a team effort, we have plans, the top guys who are doing their job on top as well. It’s not a matter to me, I am accustomed to batting lower down the order so it is not a matter to me batting on top. Once the guys do their job I get my couple of overs to try and do my stuff down to the end and I am happy with that (Pollard scored 21 off 10 balls to finish off the MI innings). Once we play as a team and we come out on top, I am very happy.
On the role given to him by the team management:
It is just a matter of me playing my game and trying to get on with things or assessing the situation, because at times you have to come in and just knock around the ball…just like that. Just the matter of me playing my game and assessing the situation at that point of time and being free.
On playing with Trinidad and Tobago in the Champions League being different from playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL:
No, I look at it, basically, the same. I have been batting lower down the order for Trinidad and Tobago as well. The situation, in some games, I had to bat a little earlier for T&T, but in the Mumbai Indians team we see much depth in the batting … so it is just the matter of me doing what I do in the last couple of overs.
On sharing the dressing room with Sachin Tendulkar:
It is an amazing feeling. Words can’t describe getting a chance to play with one of your childhood idols and the Master of Indian cricket. Just for me, just trying to learn as much, I am a young player as well…so [I am] trying to take as much as I can from him and trying to better my game as a cricketer.
On the conditions of the Indian wickets:
Yeah, the surfaces are pretty different. In Hyderabad, Trinidad &Tobago played most of their games there (in the Champions League), the ball was coming on a bit. Now we know the wickets are getting slow and low… so it is a matter of taking that extra second to actually hit the ball and place it where you want to. So it’s just a matter of us acclimatising for us foreign players and trying to do your best in the situation.
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