Kieron Pollard blasts WICB following axing from ODI squad for Zimbabwe tri-series

All-rounder Kieron Pollard has launched a scathing attack on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) following his axing from the squad for the ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe which will also feature Sri Lanka, claiming that he is not interested in reclaiming his place in the national squad and will instead focus on his own interests as a player.

While Pollard decided to describe the decision of axing him as “funny”, there was nothing to laugh about the rant that he aimed at the West Indian hierarchy after they questioned his commitment to the national team.

"A lot of people tend to say Pollard and many of us are mercenaries and have given nothing to West Indies cricket. While it's clear I don't have the stats or the figures of a Brian Lara, nobody, as some were trying to suggest, can ever question my commitment or integrity while playing. Why would I wake up one morning and just decide I wouldn't want to try? Scoring runs is how I survive," Pollard said.

Confusing conversations

The 29-year-old said that he was confused by the conversations he had with West Indies chairman of selectors Courtney Browne during the limited-overs series against Pakistan as well as the conversation following the axing.

According to Pollard, he was not given a proper answer as to why Browne suddenly changed his opinion about him after earlier assuring him a major spot in the scheme of things for West Indies cricket going forward.

“When chairman of selectors Courtney Browne notified me via email of my axing, I reminded him of why my exclusion was funny because, during the Twenty20 and one-day series, the two of us had a long conversation, speaking about wanting to have guys such as myself around going forward in West Indies cricket," Pollard told ESPNcricinfo.

"(After being dropped) He said I wasn't 'committed to batting' during the tour, which I pressed him to clarify further because it was a broad statement. I asked specifically if this commitment he interpreted I wasn't giving also related to my bowling, fielding, and advice to captain Jason Holder. And he said no, and stressed it was just batting and, in his view, I was not trying," he added.

WICB has an agenda according to Pollard

While Browne defended the decision claiming that Pollard’s performances as a senior player were not up to standard, Pollard feels the WICB is simply continuing to take revenge for the team’s decision to pull out midway during the tour to India in 2014.

"It's an attack on the senior players. Look at the team right now. Only Marlon Samuels is a senior guy around in most formats, others are ineligible outside of T20s because of their selection policy which inadvertently targets us. You could say our axing is the final puzzle of removing the seniors and they have come up with any reason that suits them to get certain individuals out of the set-up," Pollard said.

With the WICB taking questionable decisions off late, including the axing of T20 skipper Darren Sammy as well as head coach Phil Simmons, Pollard is not keen to aim for a comeback to the national team and considering his prowess in the T20 format, there will be no shortage of suitors for the 29-year-old.

"I'm 29 years old, but the way people talk about me being a senior player or veteran you would swear my age is 39. Realistically now I just have to look after Kieron Pollard. So I'm not going to campaign or do anything to try and convince them to pick me again," he said.