WI vs BAN LIVE: Kieron Pollard retired, walks off after slow batting – West Indies captain Kieron Pollard made a huge call on Friday as he decided to walk off midway through his innings against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup. Pollard was struggling to score runs and had motored to just eight of 16 balls, when he straight away walked off to the pavilion, with next man Andre Russell coming in to bat. It was later confirmed that Pollard had retired ill, before returning to bat in the final over of the innings. Follow Insidesport.in for T20 World Cup and WI vs BAN LIVE updates.
WI vs BAN Live: BIZARRE from Kieron Pollard, West Indies captain walks off against Bangladesh after slow batting, returns in final over
In a move that has raised eyebrows, Kieron Pollard retired himself from the West Indian innings as he walked off, ending his innings prematurely. The West Indies captain was struggling to time the ball in the scorching heat, managing just eight of 16 balls, before deciding to head to the changing rooms. Andre Russell walked in to bat next, as the viewers walked in shock in what could be termed as the most bizarre incident in cricket.
Kieron Pollard had played an attacking stroke just three times in his 16 ball stay at the crease before retiring himself out.#T20WorldCup #WIvBAN
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 29, 2021
Kieron Pollard did not look in any discomfort as he walked off, ruling out any concerns of injury ruling him out of the game. The decision could have been forced due to the heat in Sharjah or could be a tactical ploy to speed up the innings.
The West Indian captain, it was later confirmed, had retired ill and returned to bat in the final over of the innings facing the final two deliveries of the innings. Pollard slammed the final ball over the mid-on fence to take West Indies to 142, setting Bangladesh a challenging total on a slow and sluggish pitch in Sharjah.
WI vs BAN Live: BIZARRE from Kieron Pollard, West Indies captain walks off against Bangladesh after slow batting, returns in final over
As per the rules, if a batsman retires hurt through injury or illness, they are entitled to resume their innings after a fall of a wicket. However, if they retire hurt for another reason, they can only resume their innings with the consent of the opposition’s captain. Pollard returned to bat suggesting that the West Indies captain struggled with an illness/injury.
Irfan Pathan during commentary opined that a player who retires out should not be allowed to resume the innings. Speaking on the incident, former Indian batsman and Irfan Pathan’s teammate VVS Laxman said on Star Sports, “Until and unless it’s very difficult for you to be out there in the middle, as a captain you should have been there. You need to lead by example. It was bizarre.”
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