Kieron Pollard has spoken out against the Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League. The Mumbai Indians batting coach made his stance clear.
“If you ask me personally whether I like it or not, I can say straight away: I’m not a fan,” Pollard said.
Pollard, who has been part of the IPL since 2010, believes the rule is hurting the role of allrounders. He feels their skills are not being used fully. This could also affect international cricket.
“In terms of getting rid of it, that’s beyond my pay grade, per se. But as I said, it has definitely pushed up scores in T20 cricket. Has it had the same impact in international cricket? I haven’t really looked into that in detail, because it’s a different dynamic – if you lose a couple of wickets in a league game, you still have the cushion to consolidate.
“So the powers that be need to assess whether it’s actually good for the game, good for television, or simply beneficial for individuals. With the Impact Player rule, there are certain skill sets that may not be fully utilised in international cricket. Hopefully, they will review whether it’s truly beneficial. If not – and if the rules remain – you just have to get on with it.”
Several top players have also raised concerns about the rule. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Shubman Gill and Axar Patel have all criticised it at different times.
“I don’t like this rule, honestly, because I am an all-rounder,” Axar said before the season. “Earlier, you would pick an allrounder for batting and bowling. Because of this rule, the team management goes for a particular batsman or bowler, thinking ‘Why do we need an allrounder?'”
Gill also shared his concerns. “Personally for me, I don’t think there should be an Impact Player. Cricket in general is a 11-player game… adding an extra batsman, I think it takes the skill out of the game. With that one extra player, it is making the game more one dimensional.
“Chasing 180 or 160 on a challenging wicket is for me more exciting than chasing 220 on a flat track,” the Gujarat Titans captain said.
The Impact Player rule has been in place since 2023. The Board of Control for Cricket in India and IPL officials have already told teams that the rule will stay for at least one more season.
