The Kieron Pollard Shot

When a discussion arises about trademark shots of cricketers, there is every chance that the name of the usual suspects will be invoked. A few mentions one can bet his/her life on are Sachin's straight drive, KP's switch hit, Dilshan's Dilscoop and, in some circles, even Virat Kohli's cover drives are gaining a cult following of their own. But there is one new name I'll like to throw in the mix, and I'm sure it is going to make a few eyebrows raise. The cricketer in question has made his country's selector's blood pressure rise on more occasions than doing the same to the opposition, the opposition players almost need an urgent admission to the hospital.

I'm talking about Kieron Pollard. The big man from Trinidad and Tobago has a penchant for big shots and that has meant that he has more sixes than ODIs (110 of them in 101 matches), and even more astonishingly, more sixes than fours in all T20 cricket (445 6s and 444 4s on this date). While such destructive cricketers don't often have a single go to shot to underline their power, there is one shot that Pollard has produced time and again that has caught my fancy. And just as if to remind me of writing this piece, he did it again last week in a T20 game in Paksitan Super League.

Pardon my creative skills but as of now, I don't have a name for this shot. And to be honest, I find the exercise of naming shots a little futile. So, just for the sake of this post, let's call it the Pollard shot. The shot is pretty similar to Jayasuriya's flick off the hips that so effortlessly sailed for six behind the square leg boundary. But the Matara Marauder often did that to balls pitched on middle and leg stump. What makes the Pollard shot special is the power of his forearms. He takes the ball from the off stump, or a little outside off, and times it to such perfection that there is no chance for the fielder on the square leg boundary. Now to hit a six on leg side off a ball pitched on off side is a travesty for the purists. Moreover, if you can't execute it, there is every chance you'll fall prey to the ugliest of dismissals. And even if you execute it, and make a career out of doing it like Ross Taylor did, the purists will still frown at you. 

But, with those supple wrists of his, Pollard does it with such elegance that you can be forgiven for forgetting that it is Kieron Pollard whose batting is made up of brute force and destructive capabilities and not anything that can be even remotely called beautiful. There's no swivel. There's no slog. Just an innocent flick. Besides, unlike Jayasuriya's trademark hit, the Pollard shot's destination arc covers the region of square leg to mid wicket, which is obvious considering that he picks the ball from outside off. I personally believe that shots that cricketers are remembered for are of two kinds - either they're groundbreaking in nature and invite the scorn of purists but have a following of their own because that's what the crowds like in a game so steeped in tradition, or the ones which produce maximum results with minimum efforts (I can picture in my head Sachin Tendulkar paddle sweeping the spinners for four as I write this). The Pollard shot in all likelihood will sit pretty in the second category. For all that Pollard can be accused of doing in this shot is making contact with the ball as it flies the distance. And somehow, in a shot that would be so dependent on the pace of the ball, the result is more often than not same, no matter if the ball is bowled at 125k or 145k. The way the power in his forearms takes the pace out of the equation makes this shot special and such a treat to watch.

By no means my vote for a Pollard Shot to be included in the discussion of trademark cricketing shots will ever get accepted. And that's fine. And that's why I decided to write about it here. But the next time you see Kieron Pollard sending the white ball flying into the night sky over square leg boundary, remember this post.