Bengaluru, April 13: The sleeping ginat has woken up just on time! West Indian big-hitter Kieron Pollard, who had a forgettable Indian Premier League (IPL) last year, wasn't having any good a season in 2019 this year till Wednesday (April 10).

Leading Mumbai Indians (MI) in the absence of the regular captain Rohit Sharma, the 31-year-old Trinidad player slammed 83 off 31 balls with the help of 10 sixes that saw his side overhaul a steep target of 197 against Kings XI Punjab, in the final ball of the innings. With the Windies waiting to pick their final squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup, Pollard couldn't have chosen a better time for this crucial knock.

Despite possessing a wealth of talent, Pollard has not been successful in making it big in international cricket.

The last time he played a ODI was in October 2016, which is quite astonishing for the man has over 100 games under his belt with over 2,000 runs and has scored three hundreds and nine fifties so far. But as it is in all fields of life, talent isn't the only yardstick for success and Pollard failed to make the most of those other ingredients that constitute a success story.

The world as his stage

The cricketer, who said last year that his heart still wants to play for the Windies, conceded after the Wankhede blitzkrieg that he was among those who were "blacklisted" by the Caribbean cricket board and expressed hope over the fact that things have changed in West Indian cricket in the recent weeks.

Besides his return to form with a bang, the ouster of the controversial Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron in a recent voting could also play out well in favour of Pollard and some other Caribbean stars who are performing regularly as 'freelance' cricketers.

If the likes of Pollard, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and others make it together to the World Cup squad, then the Windies certainly will look a strong contender for the title.

Pollard has also been slammed by former cricketers like Michael Holding who said in the past that he did not consider the former a cricketer since he excelled only in the T20s.

It's a way of looking at things by past greats who prefer to remain purists even as the game has diversified much beyond their eras. If Pollard can make the cut and play for the Windies in the forthcoming World Cup in England, he will have ample opportunity silence his critics. Having been part of the Windies squads for the 2007 and 2011 World Cups earlier, Pollard is not new to the big stage.

The election of a new president in Ricky Skerritt for CWI, coupled with Pollard's strong return to form could perhaps hint at something positive for the exciting Caribbean talent.