Pollard urges youngsters...
Kieron Pollard has warned young cricketers against allowing their sporting ambitions to come at the expense of their education, reminding them that even successful playing careers eventually come to an end. Addressing the PowerGen Penal Cricket Club’s annual awards ceremony recently, the West Indies star, who was named Mumbai Indian’s head coach in the Indian Premier League on Saturday, said education remained essential to preparing young people for life both within and beyond the game.
“To the youngsters, dream of professional cricket, but never use cricket as an excuse to neglect school,” Pollard said. “Not every young cricketer will become a professional, and even a successful playing career eventually comes to an end.”Education was also relevant to the practical demands of a professional cricket career, including travelling, understanding contracts, managing finances and planning for life after retirement.
“Learn to manage your time,” he urged. Pollard encouraged youngsters to organize their school-work around training sessions and tournaments, rather than treating cricket and education as competing priorities. For youngsters hoping to follow in his footsteps, Pollard’s message was clear: pursue the cricketing dream, but do not neglect the education that will remain valuable regardless of how far the game takes them.