Welcome Guest Sign In | Register | Most wanted players Series Countries Live Scores Fixtures Results News Features Photos Video & Audio Blogs Statistics Archive Shop Mobile West Indies / News West Indies home | News | Features | Photos | Video/Audio | Fixtures | Results | Domestic Competitions | Domestic History | Players | Grounds | Records West Indies news There is no axe to grind - Lloyd Nagraj Gollapudi January 13, 2015 Comments: 22 | Login via | Text size: A | A Play Bravo, Pollard havent had exceptional performances for West Indies Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and current chairman of selectors, has said that the absence of exceptional performances from the pair of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, coupled with the selection panels vision to move forward and look for young talent, were the chief reasons for omitting the two senior allrounders for the ODIs against South Africa and the World Cup. Lloyd said the decision had been a difficult one and was debated heavily. He insisted that it was not the end of the road for the discarded pair and it was up to the players to regain their spots on the back of performances. It was a very difficult decision. I can tell you it went on for two days. We suspended it to give a chance to think about things and so on. There were a lot of discussions, Lloyd told ESPNcricinfo in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. But then you get to a point where you say, right, this is where we want to go. It is very difficult for people to understand or to accept. But we want to move on. I dont think they have had any exceptional performances. Nobody (of the pair) has got exceptional performances as far as (playing for) West Indies is concerned. They have been there and thereabouts. We really and truly want to pick people on what they have done for our cricket and not for anyone else. Despite being part of the 30 probables for the World Cup, Bravo and Pollard had already been left out of the five-match ODI series against South Africa. Considering their popularity in domestic global Twenty20 competitions, the news created furore not just in the Caribbean, but also outside. Former West Indies fast bowler and Lloyds former team-mate Michael Holding raised the question of why Bravo had been dropped when he was part of the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2014. Pollard and Bravo are fourth and fifth on the list of highest run-scorers for West Indies since the 2011 World Cup. Lloyd said there were already too many allrounders in the squad and that the selectors had to take a call. He also hinted that the performances of Bravo and Pollard that have registered in the fans minds had mostly come in the domestic T20 leagues like the IPL. Lloyd revealed that he had spoken with both players in person last week in Cape Town: Yes, I spoke to them in Cape Town. They understand what the situation is. Dont forget, these guys have been playing for West Indies for a while. And they will be disappointed. But they have a chance of redeeming themselves and getting back into our cricket in the future. One is 31 (Bravo) and the other is 27 or 28 (Pollard). Lloyd also said he did not need to respond to Chris Gayle who called the selectors move ridiculous. Gayle had said that he was stunned to hear from Bravo that one reason for the pair being dropped was that the selectors wanted to rebuild the team. He (Gayle) might think so, but the point is that he is not a selector. He is a player, Lloyd said. I have the greatest respect for him. But he will have to read what we are trying to do. He is part of that team that is going forward. Once he has been told what the situation is he will understand what we are doing. Immediately after Bravo and Pollard were dropped from the South Africa ODI series but included for the T20 leg, the players lawyer Ralph Thorne said that a gentle form of ruthlessness by the WICB led to their exclusion from the World Cup squad. Thorne accused the WICB of victimisation and not honouring the word of the board president Dave Cameron who had said that the players who abandoned the tour of India last October would be treated fairly. Lloyd said he had explained the reasons, in writing, to all concerned parties, including the WICB, the West Indies Players Association, as well as the players lawyers. He insisted there was no discrimination by the selection panel. No, no. That is not the way I live. I dont believe in things in that nature at all. There is no axe to grind with these guys. There are other people that could have…You know we could have said, What about X, what about Y? This is the combination we came up with. And I am not one of those people who are going to direct to me what to do. I take orders from me, and nobody else. I am not into that situation where I will be worrying about what happened in India. That is past. That is gone. We are moving on. Lloyd backed his statement by pointing out that the WICB had shortlisted Bravo as one of 12 players to be given a central contract for the 2014-15 season. Doesnt that tell you about something? He has been given a central contract. So that means he is not thrown out. That is what we should be talking about. We want people to feel they are still part of our cricket, Lloyd said. Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo RSS Feeds: Nagraj Gollapudi © ESPN Sports Media Ltd. + Add comments Login - Register to post comments - Posted by CodandChips on (January 13, 2015, 18:23 GMT) Pollard can have no complaints for me. An ODI average of 25.2 in 91 matches is poor. He rarely bats with responsibility, which is alarming given his experience not only in international cricket but also in global T20 leagues. To me he has never really improved in ODIs either. As for Bravo, I think he is unlucky. While his ODI batting average is only marginally higher than Pollards, his bowling stats arent too bad, and crucially, he appeared to improve in 2014 and was named in the ICC ODI team of the year. I dont like the guy because I think hes too arrogant, but I do feel he has a case to complain. Posted by RiccardoS on (January 13, 2015, 18:15 GMT) From a cricketing point of view the decision to drop Bravo and Pollard is somewhere between farsical and stupid. As Lloyd, a great player at his time, has clearly indicated in the interview, its punishment for having played in the IPL (we look at what people has done in our cricket, not elsewhere). Used to be a Windies supporter, learned to bat looking at the great Viv on TV, I now hope they lose every game, this kind of selection policy is demented Posted by Magz Rossman on (January 13, 2015, 17:53 GMT) Makes no sense to me to drop Bravo and Pollard and include fresh faces for a campaign as significant as the World Cup. Unless WI no longer consider it a prestigious tournament. I wish a question was asked about the choice of Jason Holder as captain. That is even more ridiculous! Maybe there is some genius in him that I fail to see or maybe he is a good leader and can marshal the support of seniors and juniors on the team....too many maybes... Posted by adv_nishanth on (January 13, 2015, 17:50 GMT) Sir, I dont know what you mean by exceptional performance. I dont remember an exceptional performance from the WI ODI team in the last 12 months. Good to know that selectors dont contemplate the teams chances of winning the WC and prefers looking ahead. Better luck in 2019. Posted by Karthic Srinivaas on (January 13, 2015, 17:49 GMT) Oh pls Mr Lloyd dont be a mere puppet and act with some patriotism as a Calypso. Bravo and Pollard are playing much better than the current crop of West Indians and oh yes i believe they will easily walk into your famous word beating sides. Posted by AjaySeon on (January 13, 2015, 17:46 GMT) to elsmallo... what ODI 100s that Pollard score that you are talking about.. after 91 ODI Pollard scored 3 100s and 7 50s and took 44 wickets.... DJ Bravo scored 2 100s and 10 50s and took 199 wickets .. a little runs earlier in 2014 and people behaving like he is some match winner... Clive Lloyd got it right... people are confused and mixing up domestic and leagues cricket with International Cricket where Bravo and Pollard has been nothing but failures... Posted by kzwitunes on (January 13, 2015, 17:46 GMT) i think a lot of people are missing the point being made here, what has these two done for WI cricket? IPL, big bash etc they are excellent but when it comes to WI cricket these guys are just average. Posted by espncricinfomobile on (January 13, 2015, 17:41 GMT) So what Lloyd is saying is a player who made the icc 2014 world ODI team do not deserve a place on the team for the World Cup 2015. Mr Lloyd the 15 you choose have anyone of them equal this fear no I guess. This is just a clear case of victimization the regional best player in the eyes of the ICC panel in 2014 have not gotten a spot in Clive Lloyd 15 because clearly you did not select on merit. I have lost total respect for you mr Lloyd . Posted by NP_NY on (January 13, 2015, 17:38 GMT) No one is buying this Mr.Lloyd, not in the West Indies or anywhere else in the world. As a cricketer you are respected world over as one of the all-time greats. As a selector though, you are letting the West Indies down big time. Most cricket fans are still hoping that Bravo and Pollard will play in WC2015. Please dont let the fans down. Posted by Dennis Varghese on (January 13, 2015, 17:38 GMT) @inot, you think this is some kind of a game? like you take revenge and then i take revenge? grow up mayyte. In the cricket world,its all about giving performances and whats the big deal if they have played a lot first class cricket as well? it surely has given them a boost to their performances and the world is a spectator to it. + Add comments Login - Register to post comments - TopTop Share Email Feedback Print Related Links Features : Players must show some loyalty to our cricket News : Gayle slams selectors over Bravo, Pollard omissions News : Gayle and Narine refuse WICB contracts News : No Bravo, Pollard for World Cup: Ramnarine News : Bravo, Pollard, Sammy being victimised Guest Column : Why punish the West Indies players when the administration is to blame? 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Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 20:28:05 +0000
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