KIERON POLLARD’s future as a West Indies cricketer could now be in jeopardy after he turned down a place on the one-day leg of the West Indies “A” team’s cricket tour to England.
The big-hitting Trinidadian has opted to represent Somerset in the Friends Provident T20 Cup, but leading cricket website Cricinfo yesterday quoted a WICB source as being unhappy with Pollard’s decision.
“We are not impressed. We had a lot of talks with him to try and persuade him otherwise and spell out his pathway for the future but he wanted to play for Somerset instead,” the source said.
“We were trying to help his cricket develop by giving him an ‘A’ tour, but he didn’t want to take up the offer.”
But the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has jumped to the defence of Pollard, who is not among 35 regional players on retainer contracts with the WICB.
Pollard’s lucrative deal with Somerset would earn him substantially more money than what he would pocket with the “A” team which includes a triangular series with England Lions and India “A”, later this month.
“He signed his contract with Somerset a long time before the squad was announced and he isn’t contracted with the West Indies board,” Dinanath Ramnarine, the WIPA president, told Cricinfo.
“If he was, he probably wouldn’t have had a choice, but it would almost be restraint of trade to stop him going to Somerset.”
Guyanese all-rounder Asad Fudadin, who has replaced Darren Bravo in the side, will now stay on for the one-day leg, while Jamaican fast-bowling all-rounder Andre Russell will replace Nelon Pascal, who has been called up to the Test side. (EZS)
