West Indies "white ball" captain Kieron Pollard sees improvement in his team but agrees it will take time and there is still more to do. This was during an interview with host Andre Errol Baptiste on Isports sports programme on Thursday on I95.5fm.
"I am a positive person so I tend to look for areas that we can improve and areas where we have improved and things like that, rather than just look at the overall picture of results," said Pollard, who expected a better showing from the regional team in its most recent One-Day series against Sri Lanka. West Indies suffered a 3-0 loss.
"We were completely outplayed and completely beaten. I just thought the strides that we would have made in December firstly, against India, pushing the number one team all the way even though we did not win the series but getting that opportunity to go to India and do that, we did not capitalise on that.
"Yes, we played against Ireland and we won against them 3-0 but at the end of it, we have to play and deal with what’s in front of you all the time and I was looking forward to an improved performance or something close to what we wanted to achieve."
He cited that bowling is one of the main things that his team is doing well and will continue to work on it.
"We need to be consistent all through 50 overs. Being able to have the team where we want them and stick to certain plans and at the back end of the innings sort of execute our yorkers and bowl to one side of the field if you getting hit."
Like the rest of the sporting world, cricket is also being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the allrounder was both practical and philosophical on the situation.
"It is not a good time because of what is happening with people dying across the world and all the precautions that we have to take. We all have to play our part in trying to ensure it does not spread in T&T and the wider world.
"But having said, from our cricketers point of view, I think it is a good time for introspection, a good time for reflection, a good time to look at where you are as an individual in your career and what you want to achieve going forward. You have to take this time to do that and find a way to keep yourself in physical shape and mentally as well because when the bell rings and they say okay, everything is back to normal and we need to go on tour, we might not have enough time to be prepared but again you as an individual have to be prepared mentally for you to try to perform at your best," noted Pollard.
There has been a lot of discussion in the region relating the omission of two named players (Shimron Hetmyer and Evin Lewis) for failing a fitness test (yo yo). Hetmeyer eventually retook the test, passed and was then selected for the T20 series in Sri Lanka while Lewis did not and was not selected.
"As a professional, you want to be fit, you want to be able to perform to your optimum level and again there is no question that if you want to do well in life and sports. Guys have been notified as to where they need to be and again the onus is on you as an individual to try to meet those requirements," said Pollard who admitted that he has not spoken to Lewis but he intends to.
"I have not had a chance to speak to him since I got back. I am sure shortly, in the next couple of weeks or so, discussions will be taking place. I was looking forward to playing against Powergen this weekend, I would have seen him and we would have had a face-to-face discussion, as to what, where he is at and those sort of things, so again, that is how I like to do things, face-to-face discussions because that is the way you get the true essence of what someone is feeling and thinking as well. I haven’t but that time will come but again as an individual, we just need to do what is necessary so when the bell rings we are ready for that call."
On the absence of leading West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach's from the Sri Lanka tour, the regional skipper said: "Again every player has an opportunity to be selected that is something that has been stated for a long while. At the end of the day, when you select a team, you go on different things as to where you think the team is lacking what you need and hopefully, you have the personnel.
"Kemar Roach, he will always be in contention. He was playing 50-over cricket up to the last World Cup so no one has been written off in that sense and he is doing well in this tournament and he is one of the main bowlers for us in the West Indies."
Pollard also spoke on his improved batting scores since becoming captain of the West Indies.
"Going around the world and being a professional has helped me greatly so even if you look in T20 cricket, runs have been coming more consistently as well, so I am working on my game personally," said Pollard.