Pollard blasts 'ridiculous' CPL rule on slow over rate

Trinbago Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard criticised the CPL's new red-card ruling, after his team was issued the first ever red card in the tournament's history for a slow over rate in their six-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at Warner Park, St Kitts on Sunday.

Pollard was relatively pleased with his team's performance and the execution of their plans as they got their first win of the CPL season.

However, the outspoken former West Indies captain did not hold back as he took issue with the new ruling.

"The guys bowled well, up until the 17th over," Pollard said of his team's bowling efforts versus the Patriots. "The new rules or innovation which has come about, that cost us some 25 or 30 runs towards the end.

"To be honest, I think it's going to take away the hard work the guys would have done throughout the innings. You are one minute (behind time) as a fielding team and you have guys (being asked to) come in (the inner circle).

"In the end, you have a guy who has to come off the field also. I think we're just giving away runs for Cricinfo."

With CPL's over-rate rules, which are being implemented for both the men's and women's tournaments, teams are given a minimum of 85 minutes to complete their allotted 20 overs. Teams will be penalised if they are behind the over rate at the end of the 17th, 18th and 19th overs, with an additional fielder being placed in the 30-yard circle at the end of the 17th and 18th overs respectively.

If the team's over rate is still deemed too slow at the end of the penultimate over, a red card will be issued to one of the fielders to leave the field before the start of the 20th over.

On Sunday, as they opted to bowl first against the Patriots, TKR and Pollard were behind the over rate on all three occasions in question, with umpire Zahid Bassarath issuing the CPL's first red card to Sunil Narine.

Down to ten men, and with six fielders in the 30-yard circle as opposed to just two outside, Dwayne Bravo conceded 18 runs in the final over.

"I don't know (how we are going to overcome this new ruling)," Pollard said. "We are just going to continue to play cricket how we know how to play, and if that's going to determine matches and that's what they want to see then, we have to go with it.

"We are just like pawns in the whole environment here. We are just going to do what we are told. We are going to try and play cricket to the best of our ability and try to play as fast as we can.

"But I think being penalised for 30 and 40 seconds in a tournament like this is absolutely ridiculous."

CPL 2023 over-rate ruling:

– If behind the required over rate at the start of the 18th over (72 minutes and 15 seconds), one additional player must enter the fielding circle (for a total of five).

– If still behind the rate at the start of the 19th over (76 minutes and 30 seconds), two additional fielders must enter the fielding circle (for a total of six).

– If still behind the rate at the start of the 20th over (80 minutes and 45 seconds), teams will lose a player from the field (selected by the captain) and have six inside the fielding circle.