We've had a word with Pollard: Rohit

MUMBAI: Kieron Pollard has been Mumbai Indians' go-to man in the IPL for the last seven seasons. The 26-year-old's pyrotechnics with the bat and his super efforts in the field have made him very popular with the younger generation.
That said, the man for whom no boundary is long enough, has now for the second year, fallen well short of acceptable behaviour standards.
The incident involving him and Royal Challengers Bangalore's Mitchell Starc at the Wankhede on Tuesday, when he almost hurled his bat at the Australian bowler, wasn't the first time that anger had got the better of the West Indian all-rounder.
Last year, Rahul Dravid, who has never used harsh words against an opponent in his career, was forced to call Pollard's over-the-top celebrations after dismissing Shane Watson at the Wankhede as an "act of cowardice."
"One of the things that I find when you send batsman off after you have got him out is that it is an act of cowardice. That is my opinion. Batsman can never respond after you have got him out and you send him off," was Dravid's strong reaction to Pollard's antics.
The unsavoury episode had also invited the ire of the match referee who hauled up Rohit Sharma and Pollard in a hearing after the game.
In the next game against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur, Pollard ran around the field with a finger on his lips after every Royals' wicket, in what was seen as a reaction to Dravid's remarks.
Nothing seems to have changed this year although the young Mumbai Indians skipper revealed on Friday that he had had a word with Pollard about his behaviour.
"We have all spoken to him. Whatever happened (the incident with Starc), happened in the heat of the game. Nobody wants to ruin the spirit of the game. We have spoken about it and we need to move forward now because Pollard is an aggressive player and he didn't do anything purposely. As a captain it was my duty to explain or tell him what sort of behaviour is expected on the field. We have had a word with him and he is ok with that and hopefully, he should not repeat such mistakes," said Sharma.