IPL 2023: "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" - Tom Moody Heaps Praise On Kieron Pollard

West Indies legend Kieron Pollard, who was an integral part of the Mumbai Indians (MI) team that won five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, has announced his retirement. Despite the big-hitting all-rounder being one of the IPL’s all-time greats, Tom Moody believes the decision to release Kieron Pollard was a good call.

MI released 13 players, including Pollard, as part of their retention process ahead of the IPL 2023 auction, which will take place on December 23 in Kochi. The all-rounder has decided to take up the role of batting coach with the team, and the MI management has confirmed it. He was retained for Rs 6 crore ahead of last year’s mega auction.

Kieron Pollard Has Been One Of The Legends Of The IPL – Tom Moody

During a conversation on Star Sports, Moody opined that Pollard was one of the reasons for the Mumbai Indians’ success. The former Australian all-rounder highlighted that the veteran cricketer brings a variety of skills to the table.

“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,” said Tom Moody.

“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,” he added.

Moody believes the MI management would have explained the decision to Pollard. He said, “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.”

Pollard made significant contributions with both the bat and the ball during his stint with MI. The 35-year-old played in 189 games for the franchise. Pollard scored 3412 runs in 171 innings with an average of 28.67 and a brilliant strike rate of 147.32. He also took 69 wickets with the ball at a decent economy rate of 8.79.

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