FIERY?St Lucia Zouks fast bowler Tino Best and aggressive Barbados Tridents captain Kieron Pollard have both admitted they were involved in a “scuffle”last month during the Limacol Caribbean Premier League,but they have shaken hands and moved on.
Best and Pollard were guests on Massy United Insurance’s Line & Length last night on Sportsmax and said the incident was blown out of proportion, although words turned physical at the team hotel after the match at Kensington Ovalon July 23.
“We pushed each other around and we got parted,” Best said.
“There was just a bit of testosterone. He is a big, tall guy and I am a short, big guy. Neither of us would back down from each other but it’s over now. We played cricket in St Lucia again the next week and I shook his hand. So that’s done.”
He added that what angered him was that Barbadians started rumours about him being “badly beaten”, which were not true.
“In Barbados people hear things and add on. No blood was shed. We didn’t bring the league into disrepute . . . it was just a little scuffle,” Best told host Barry Wilkinson.
Pollard, who earlier this year was heavily fined for his exchange with Mitchell Starc in the Indian Premier League, was speaking on the show via Skype from St Kitts & Nevis. He said that he never backs down from a challenge, but admitted he has put the incident behind him.
“For me I don’t take on those things. I am a competitive guy by nature. If there a battle, I won’t shy away from it.
“For me, though, when it’s over it’s over. It happened and I am over it. I have my family to take care of and that’s most important for me. So I just want to score some more runs on the field,” he said.
Earlier in the match, Best was involved in an exchange which became physical, with Pakistani Shoaib Malik, who plays for the Tridents.
But Best revealed that they shook hands and are also over the matter.
“As a bowler, guys give you talk, they try to get into your head. Bowling at Shoaib (Malik) he played a cut shot, then I bowled a slower ball and he punched it and said ‘bring it on bring it on.’ So I ran in at him and knocked his stumps over and said a familiar Bajan word to him when I got him out. He turned around and obviously he retaliated.”
He acknowledged that the fine was paid and he was now looking forward to the upcomingfirst-class season.(EZS)
