A pleased Pollard

Stand-in West Indian captain Kieron Pollard was a satisfied man after his team enjoyed a near-perfect warm-up encounter against the BCB XI, who they beat by 118 runs at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium here yesterday.
Playing without captain Darren Sammy and stalwarts Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, the visitors comfortably brushed aside the second-string Bangladesh side who just the previous day beat their seniors in the first warm-up.
"I think we got exactly what we wanted out of this game," said the big-hitting right-hander while speaking to the media after the game. "The guys coming from the Caribbean got a hit. The bowlers get a run out with the white ball. I hope we take this momentum into the ODI series."
It was an easy game to captain as BCB XI were pretty much out of the game by the end of the first innings when the tourists amassed 361 in 50 overs. "The guys supported me. There were a lot of runs on the board so you can try different things. The game was already over by the 35th or 40th over. The guys had a good run out and those sitting it out are well rested for the ODI series that's coming up."
The five-match ODI series starting on Friday will also see the new ODI rules -- two bouncers per over, a maximum of four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle during non-Powerplay overs of which there will now be two blocks instead of three -- in effect. Pollard believed that the reduction in the number of fielders allowed outside the circle will make things more taxing for bowlers, while also benefiting the power hitters in his team.
"The bowlers have to watch their p's and q's. They can't let it stray because there's not many guys outside. Having said that, the rules have been set and players have to just follow so I think it is a matter of something that we have to get used to," he said.
"We have a lot of power hitters. Clearing the boundary and the ball falling in gaps are important for us. So hopefully we can capitalise on it until there's any further change."