Kieron Pollard and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (PTI and BCCI Photos)
New Delhi: Young batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to attract attention in the Indian Premier League with his fearless style, earning praise from many, including Kieron Pollard. Speaking before the match, Pollard admitted he was a fan but also urged caution about the hype surrounding such a young player.“When I was 15, I was still at school, playing club cricket. But, again, it’s exciting. It’s very exciting to see, you know, a young man conquering the world. And he’s using the exuberance of his youth to his advantage. And I hope that continues for a long time for him. And, you know, for Indian cricket as well,” Pollard told reporters.
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Pollard stressed that while Sooryavanshi’s rise is exciting, it is important not to forget how quickly public opinion can change.
He warned against celebrating the player only in the good stages and then ignoring him in the difficult times.“We keep producing talent. We just need to keep encouraging him. One of the things I always say is let’s not be on the bandwagon when he’s here. And if you have a few misses, and guys spot him. Then we just cut to the wayside. We forget all about him. I think that’s the biggest fear for me as an individual, being a cricketer.”
We’re all running with the noise, he noted.“And then when something happens. And so, again, he’s a talent. He’s in good shape. And I hope that continues for a long time for him.”Pollard also spoke about the importance of experienced players in the game, especially with stars like them
Rohit Sharma
and
Virat Kohli
Still going strong. He said fans should respect veterans and allow them to decide when to walk away.He added: “Everyone has different motivations to play for a long period of time… Donny is still playing at 44 years old… Fortunately, I am still playing around the world at 39 years old.”“Again, what we tend to do as well, is these guys have done well in cricket overall, but we tend to just look at age… I think we should continue to honor these guys… and let them decide when the time comes.”