Kieron Pollard

A destructive lower middle order batsman, Kieron Pollard is also an useful medium pacer with subtle changes of pace. He made his ODI debut in the 2007 World Cup against South Africa. He came of age in the Champions League tournament in 2009, when he decimated New South Wales with a 18-ball 54 when the game seemed dead and buried.

That coming of age performance brought instant recognition and he was picked up by South Australia to play for them in the Big Bash. He was picked up by the Mumbai Indians in a silent tie-breaker for an undisclosed amount after the bidding process had reached the highest limit of $750,000.

He turned down a central contract from the West Indian board so that he could play T20s all over the world as a freelancer. Yet the West Indian board selected him for the ODIs and the T20s, giving him the permission to play in the IPL. Pollard had an ordinary 2011 and 2012 IPL and failed miserably with the bat. However, he came back with a bang the next year, scoring 420 runs and picking up 10 wickets from 18 matches as MI surged to the title in 2013. He was also the Man of the Final in 2013.

An aggressive batsman, with a penchant to clear the boundary with ease, he relies on hitting the ball out of the park. He is a little susceptible against spinners and often gets out to them unable to pick which way it is going. A dibbly-dobbly medium pacer, he often rolls his fingers over the ball and bowls his leg cutters on a consistent basis. As a fielder, Pollard is one of the best in the world and has taken some unbelievable catches. An all-round fielder who can field at any position, he uses his long reach to good effect.

It was only a matter of time before he hit his straps in the Indian T20 League. His uncanny knack of plundering biggies at will prompted Mumbai to retain him so far.

One of the most sought after players in the shortest form of the game, Pollard has also plied his trade for Somerset, Dhaka Gladiators and Barbados Tridents.

On the international stage he has shown the occasional flashes of brilliance like brutal second ODI ton (102) against a strong Aussie bowling attack at home in St Lucia. His maiden ODI hundred, which came against India was also a special effort, but Pollard failed to deliver the goods on a consistent basis. Having been branded as an ODI specialist, Pollard has been perpetually overlooked for Tests. Besides, injuries have reduced his workload as a bowler. He then missed the tour to New Zealand and the T20 Cup in Bangladesh because of fitness issues.

Kieron Pollard along with Dwayne Bravo did not feature in the West Indies 15-man squad for the 2015 World Cup. Their exclusion was widely slammed by critics and experts. Determined to get back in the West Indies team, Pollard responded, "Despite the omission, I'm definitely not thinking that my international career is over. No way. I'm only 27 and I want to come back with a vengeance."

Pollard is often in and out of the national team but continues to be a great asset across various T20 leagues.

by Cricbuzz staff