Appointed West Indies' new white-ball captain despite all the challenges the job brings, Kieron Pollard has found vocal support form the legendary Sir Vivian Richards.
Pollard will be first leading the side against Afghanistan for three ODIs and three T20Is in Lucknow starting, November 6.
The 32-year-old hasn't himself turned up in an ODI for West Indies since a 2016 game against Pakistan in UAE, though, and neither has he played any List A cricket after semi-finals of the 2018 Super50 Cup for Trinidad & Tobago.
However, speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Richards said: "It's about getting yourself fit, and there's enough good players around him that can help out as well. I think he's a guy that will get himself to match fitness."
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"I've always admired his captaincy, I've always felt that when he played the first CPL T20 at home, he was the best captain."
"I think Barbados Tridents went on to win it [in 2014], and he was the best captain in my opinion, more proactive than the rest of the captains we would have seen. I think he's in a good place," he added on Pollard who succeeded Jason Holder at the helm.
The Calypso Kings have arrived in India with a very young squad featuring also the star uncapped performers of this year's Caribbean Premier League like Brandon King and Hayden Walsh Jr.
"I was impressed with him (Walsh, who has played international cricket for USA) as an Antiguan and Barbudan, especially in the CPL, and he's a magnificent fieldsman as well," Richards said. "So I think West Indies do have some good talent coming through, and if it can be fulfilled, they'll be okay."
Richards continues to have a lot of faith in young Shimron Hetmyer, whose career so far has been plagued by inconsistency with the bat.
"Hetmyer we keep speaking about, he's a young talent," the great man said. "I believe when he settles down, his numbers could be much better for West Indies in the future, but at present, he's a little if-and-but at times, but when he works that out and gets to believe he can accomplish that, he'll be okay. But his talent, his talent is enormous, it's just for him to know how to get that done."
And not to forget the "Universe Boss", it is yet not confirmed whether the mighty Chris Gayle has actually retired from international cricket with him providing no official update despite being given a farewell like send-off when India arrived in the region for an ODI series in July post the World Cup.
"You should ask him that!" Richards left that one alone. "If he thinks he's good enough to keep on going - I think he's in his 40s now, and he's still being productive, I have no problem with that. But if he finds he's going to be wanting, well, he should start having a look at himself a little closer than he is at present."
Gayle recently went unpicked in the inaugural The Hundred draft in UK; a sign of how he is being viewed as a declining force, whose best days on the field are now a thing of the past.
"I'm surprised ( over Gayle's Hundred exclusion), I think maybe Chris can still give you a brilliant hundred here and there, he can destroy any attack in my opinion," Richards said.
"I guess they're maybe thinking that what he's going to give in the field [isn't going to be enough], because I think that's got to come into play, saving runs. 'Can he give us more than he can save?'"
(Inputs from ESPNcricinfo)
