Michael Holding : "Kieron Pollard,in my opinion,is not a cricketer"

“Kieron Pollard,in my opinion,is not a cricketer” said Michael Holding recently after the World T20. He said he did not believe in rating cricketers who excelled only in T20. If Pollard feels disappointed on hearing such a remark from the legendary pacer, he has every right to do so for despite a first class average of about 37 with three centuries and five fifties in 20 matches, he is yet to don the Test colours for West Indies.

Holding may probably wait till Pollard plays Tests and then rate him depending on his performances but his remark reflects the theory that one cannot be a complete cricketer until he plays Test cricket.Till then players such as Pollard will continue to be termed as limited-overs specialists,a tag which he would be desperate to rid himself of.

In Pollard’s league are players like Dirk Nannes,David Warner and Suresh Raina.Nannes has given up first-class cricket and hence will not get to wear the baggy green cap.Warner has repeatedly expressed his desire to play Test cricket and derives inspiration from none other than Virender Sehwag when it comes to preserving the hunger for Tests.Suresh Raina is yet to get his Test cap even after representing India in 90 ODIs and his day is not far away.It is just a matter of time before we see a completely different opinion by Holding about Pollard.

Meanwhile the reserve opener’s slot in the Australian Test team is up for grabs after Phillip Hughes suffered a shoulder injury.The Test team is not named yet as the selectors plan to watch the Australia A team’s performance against Sri Lanka A and then decide on the backup opener.There are three contenders for the slot in the ‘A’ team in George Bailey,Michael Klinger and Pakistan-born Usman Khawaja who plays for New South Wales.Of these only Klinger is an opening batsman but he has already aged 30 and that may work against him in favour of 23-year old Khawaja who scored three centuries in the 2009-10 Sheffield Shield.

The presence of Bailey,Klinger and Khawaja could mean the end of the road for Phil Jaques who is currently toiling away at the English county championship for Worcestershire.A year ago he was nursing a back injury when he was forced to see his NSW teammate and opening partner,Phillip Hughes,occupy the slot left vacant by the departure of Matthew Hayden.Now it is another statemate Khawaja who has entered the pecking order and he knows he has to work overtime in England to come back into contention.