"I'd Give Him The Job": Ex-Mumbai Indians Coach Backs Kieron Pollard To Replace Mahela Jayawardene

Former Mumbai Indians fielding coach James Pamment said he was a little shocked by Mahela Jayawardene stepping down as the franchise's head coach and backed Kieron Pollard to take over the role. Last week, Jayawardene stepped down as MI head coach, ending his second stint in charge of the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions after guiding them to three titles during his first spell from 2017 to 2022. Pamment, who worked alongside Jayawardene at MI during his eight-year stint with the franchise, said he had not seen the development coming.

"I was a little bit shocked actually when I saw at the weekend that Mahela had decided to step down. I enjoyed a lot of years working alongside Mahela.

"So passionate about Mumbai Indians, so passionate about the performance of the team as well. He was so passionate about helping develop the players, especially the Indian players, to go on and become significant players for India as well, which a number of those guys now are when coming on this trip to New Zealand. So, I was surprised. I'm sort of out of the loop now, so I'm not sure what the inner workings are. Let's see," Pamment told IANS in an exclusive conversation.

He also felt Pollard, the big-hitting batter who began his IPL playing career at MI and later started his coaching career as the franchise's batting coach, stands out among the potential candidates.

"Really, other than Kieron Pollard, I'm not sure who could take over. There's been lots of names mentioned, but for me, if Kieron feels he's ready to take it on, he'd be the man I'd give the job to. But I've heard about (Mike) Hussey, or this, that and the other people. But there's a guy there who bleeds blue and gold.

"He started his coaching career there and, once again, if he can put good people around him, I think he's a guy who would have respect from the players. He's definitely got the knowledge about playing T20 cricket, especially in the IPL. But let's see - the owners might have something else in mind," added Pamment.

MI have less than a month to appoint a new head coach before the retention deadline for IPL 2027 arrives ahead of the mini auction in Goa on December 16.

Zaheer, who worked with Jayawardene as director of cricket operations at MI, has begun his tenure as head coach of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after long-serving coach Stephen Fleming left.

It is the former India fast bowler's first head coach role, and Pamment felt the timing would help Zaheer have a key say in shaping the squad retentions and auction strategy.

"It's going to be an interesting time for Zaheer here with Chennai. So, I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes.

"Retentions and squad building are really important. I guess they are your foundation for the season ahead. So, if they feel they need to make changes and additions, then this is a really important time to get the players on board that you feel you need.

"For Zaheer, I think it will be very important that he builds a management team that complements his style. I think he's very good at bringing a team together, a very team-oriented and cohesive type of person from my experience when he was at Mumbai. So, as long as he's got coaches with the skill sets to impart their knowledge and wisdom to the players around him, I think he's got an opportunity to do really well," concluded Pamment.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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