Ten seasons
back, when the IPL began, nobody quite knew how it would turn out. While many
overseas’ players put their everything into it, sacrificing country, national
duty, et al, it still was a huge risk. As the IPL grew, so did these overseas’ players.
Many were retired but many others were superstars in their own right and
commanded big bucks, for them the IPL calling held way more promise than
playing for their national squads.
One such
player was Kieron Pollard. Although Pollard made his international debut in
2007 for the West Indies, he first played in the IPL in 2010. A constant
fixture in the Mumbai Indians, Pollard was perceived as a player so precious,
often, the team refused to send him out to bat – MI’s focus was to preserve
Pollard’s batting prowess.
The focus
has finally paid off. In a recent match against Delhi Daredevils, he was
promoted up the order to bat at three – he appeared well rested, and was able
to express himself. Before this, a comment by commentator, Sanjay Mnajrekar was
misconstrued on twitter – an inspired Pollard made his bat do the talking and
gave Manjrekar’s alleged comment a fitting reply. With so much vested in the
IPL and even more in his team-for-life, the Mumbai Indians, Pollard has started
to think of himself as an Indian.
“I may weigh a 100 kg and be 1.96 metres tall
but all I am today is because of the IPL and my team, the Mumbai Indians. I
think of myself more as a Mumbai Indian than a West Indian – I hardly play for
the Windies anymore, either they don’t pick me or I don’t pick me, I dunno…but
yeah, I just saw the Champions Trophy squad and I’m unhappy not to be a part of
it”
The West
Indies have failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy for the first time since
its inception in 1998. While this has left many of the players distraught, some
like Pollard were hoping to turn up for India instead.
Pollard
believes that the IPL’s four overseas’ player rule has made him feel like a
part of a family. He also feels that the BCCI still has enough clout to do as
they please and could have easily incorporated a four overseas’ players’ rule
in their national squad.
Another
West Indies’ player who has shone with both bat and ball, Sunil Narine, did not
comment but his KKR captain, Gautam Gambhir didn’t mince words – “Narine is ready to do anything for KKR,
open the bowling, open the batting, name it, he will do it, you don’t get
players like him these days. He also has an Indian first name – Sunil. How much
more proof do we need that he is a true blue Indian – even though he is West
Indies by birth, he is East Indies by cricket. For KKR he has turned it both
ways, can’t we as Indians turn it one way for him? I’m not feeling bad at not
making the Champions Trophy squad – but to see Sunil not make it, that is indeed
distressing. Rohit is returning from injury and Dhawan is returning to the team
after a gap, and Rahane is returning from a bad run of form – ideal time to
have given someone like Sunil a shot, in my honest opinion”
Dwayne
Bravo who is yet to play for Gujarat Lions this season is equally vocal. He
feels that injury may have kept him out of the IPL but he is confident India
will retain the trophy – “I want to do a sequel to my hit song, Champion for
India – I have already decided on the name – it will be called Champion Trophy
– if I was part of the winning Indian team, even if on the bench then it would
be a big deal…y’kno I like dancing into the hotel with my winning team…it’s a
good feeling”
After two
bleak seasons with RCB, Chris Gayle is disappointed but feels he has performed
quite well in his condom ads. “We know
cricket is commerce. India is cricket. So India is commerce. I am commerce. So
I am India. Yeah maan?”
Going by his somewhat bizarre yet compelling
rationale, Gayle is convinced he should have been a part of India’s Champions
Trophy squad. He continues, “Even in Jio ad whoz there? Me. And Virat. And AB.
Whoz dancing? Me. And Virat. And AB. Whoz be in Champions Trophy ad? Not me.
Your loss, baby.”
This IPL,
Dwayne Smith has played 10 games, scoring 74 of his 177 runs in one innings.
That one innings however, won Lions the match. For a low ranked team that has
lost eight of its 12 matches, Smith feels his contribution is huge – “For a
player who favours the leg side, I think I have outperformed myself. If Gayle
and Pollard can’t make the squad, then I have no chance. Still it would have
been nice to be part of a winning team for a change.”
While
Tendulkar and Dravid have been vocal about India participating in the Champions
Trophy, they refused to comment on the West Indies representing India. However,
Vinod Kambli, though not contacted, said some of the present West Indies’
batsmen reminded him of his own flair and that should not be used as reason by
the selectors to deny them their rightful place in the squad.
(However plausible this may sound,
this is largely a work of fiction.)
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