"He has been one of the legends of the IPL" - Tom Moody on Mumbai Indians releasing Kieron Pollard

Tom Moody believes Mumbai Indians' (MI) decision to release Kieron Pollard is a smart call even though the big-hitting all-rounder is one of the legends of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

MI released a total of 13 players, including Pollard, as part of their retention process ahead of the IPL 2023 auction, which will be held in Kochi on December 23. The West Indian all-rounder will continue to be associated with the Mumbai-based franchise as a batting coach.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Moody was asked whether Pollard getting released was one of the big talking points. He responded:

"It is certainly the big talking point. He has been one of the legends of the IPL. He has been one of the main reasons I feel that Mumbai Indians have had such a successful campaign over a long period of time."

The former Australian all-rounder highlighted that the veteran cricketer brought multiple facets of the game to the table. He explained:

"He not only offers quality as a batter and a bowler but also his leadership, just his cricket smarts. He has been a real winner for them. He has been a very decorated player for a long, long time."

Pollard scored 3412 runs at an impressive strike rate of 147.32 in the 189 IPL matches he played for the Mumbai Indians. He also snared 69 wickets at an acceptable economy rate of 8.79.

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"They have got automatic replacements for his role" - Tom Moody on Mumbai Indians having the likes of Tim David

Tim David gave an excellent account of himself in the last few matches of IPL 2022. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Moody reckons the MI management would have explained to Pollard the reasons behind the decision. He stated:

"I can totally understand the logic behind the move. I think there would have been a lot of discussions between the management, the owners and Pollard around where his future fits because they have got automatic replacements for his role."

The former SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) head coach believes Tim David and Tristan Stubbs can perform the finisher's role for the Mumbai Indians going forward. He elaborated:

"Tim David is basically a younger, more inexperienced version of Pollard but he does the same thing. So now, with him and Tristan Stubbs, they have got players who have the impact down the middle order.

"So I think it was a difficult decision, would have been an emotional decision, but a smart decision."

David smashed 186 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 216.27 in the eight matches he played for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022. Although Stubbs could not deliver in the two games he played, he has shown his potential on the international stage for South Africa.