Pollard calls new CPL red-card rule ‘ridiculous’

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

Kieron Pollard has slammed the Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) new red-card penalty for slow over rates as “ridiculous”, after Trinbago Knight Riders became the first side to be sanctioned on Sunday night.

The four-time champions were left with just 10 players for the final over of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots innings, after finding themselves behind the required over rate for each of their last three overs.

Veteran off-spinner Sunil Narine paid the price by going off and Pollard then watched as Patriots skipper Sherfane Rutherford blasted 18 runs from the final over to lift his side to 178 for five.

“Obviously, the new rules and the new innovation that have come about cost us about 25 or 30 runs in the end and to be honest, I think it’s going to take away the hard work the guys would’ve done throughout the innings,” Pollard fumed after TKR pulled off a convincing six-wicket win at Warner Park.

“One minute down and you have guys coming in and then in the end, three guys are out [of the circle], there’s a guy off the field – I think we’re just giving away runs … for stats.”

Under the controversial new CPL red-card rules, if a fielding team is “behind the required over rate at the start of the 18th over, one additional player must enter the fielding circle”, resulting in one less fielder in the deep.

If the team is still behind the over rate at the beginning of the penultimate over, another player has to be pulled into the circle.

Umpires must then issue a red card if the over rate is still in arrears at the start of the final over, resulting in the captain selecting a player to go off.

“We just have to continue to play cricket as we know how to play and if that (new rule) is going to determine matches and that’s what they want to see, well then we just have to go [on],” Pollard continued.

“We’re like the pawns in the whole environment here, so we’re just going to do what we’re told. We’re going to try to play cricket to the best of our ability, try to play as fast as we can.

“But I think being penalised for 30 seconds and 45 seconds and things like that – in a tournament like this – I think is absolutely ridiculous.”

Under the guidelines governing over rates, CPL organisers stipulated that the fielding side must complete the 17th over by 72 minutes and 15 seconds, the 18th by 76:30 and the penultimate over by 80:45.

The third umpire has been given oversight for over rates and must liaise with on-field umpires at the end of every over to communicate the relevant information.

“Dispensations will be given for injuries, DRS and time-wasting by the batting side where appropriate,” organisers said in a media release prior to the tournament.

TKR went on to register a comfortable six-wicket victory over Patriots with 17 balls to spare.