IPL 2022 | 'Some 'reinvention' can help prolong Pollard's stint with MI' - Ian Bishop

Former West Indies bowler Ian Bishop has suggested that some 'reinvention' can go a long way to prolong Kieron Pollard's stint at Mumbai Indians. The recently retired Windies player has been one of the most disappointing players for the five-time champions this season. 

While talking to ESPNcricinfo, Bishop said that Pollard is not finished as a player, and he has a future ahead of him if he can reinvent himself.

"Pollard himself has to reinvent his game; however, he chooses to do that because he's still got a future ahead of him, we hope," Ian Bishop said on ESPNcricinfo's T20 Time Out.

"People are saying he's washed; I'm not going to go there. I think he's a player who can reinvent himself."

The cricketer turned commentator feels that Mumbai are backing the former West Indies captain as he has performed well for them whenever they've done well in the Indian Premier League.

"Yeah, they're keeping faith and being loyal to a great player for them. We have to have long memories - when I say we, in the media, fans, some fans anyway, have short memories. You look at Pollard's numbers when Mumbai have won the championships; he's been integral to them. You can't forget that as a franchise, so they're giving him every possible chance."

Having followed Pollard's career from close quarters, Bishop reckons that after struggling with the bat in the IPL 2022, the 35-year-old wants to prove his critics wrong and show that there's still cricket left in him.

"We talk about Mumbai being loyal to him (Pollard); he knows as well that while he has performed for them, they continued to be loyal to him, and he would want to repay that faith. And I'm sure that he's concerned about the fact that he hasn't scored the volume of runs. 

"As great a player as he has been for the Mumbai Indians, I'm telling you, 100%, that it has concerned him. He wants to - not prove the critics wrong because there's justification in some of the criticism of his form," Bishop added.

Bishop believes that the big-hitting all-rounder needs the confidence to regain the lost form for Pollard to end the poor run of form.

"Kieron needs confidence; he's not that type of guy - when you get on top of him, it's harder for him to come out. He needs the confidence, he needs the backing, he needs a good start to the season," Bishop concluded.

In the IPL 2022 thus far, the Mumbai Indians stalwart has only scored 144 runs with the bat at an average of 14.40. His strike rate this season has been 107.46, which is his lowest strike rate in any IPL season.