Two-time champions West Indies failed to qualify for the Super 12 leg of the T20 showpiece in Australia after suffering first-round defeats to Scotland and Ireland.
“A little surprised, to be honest, that (West Indies) weren’t able to cross the line against the other teams,” Pollard told i95.5fm, a Trinidad-based radio station.
“But again, that says a lot about where our cricket is right now. I feel it. I feel it for the lads because they’re the ones who are going to get hit. And it’s not entirely their fault. ”
The elimination drew reactions from across the cricketing world.
Cricket West Indies chairman Ricky Skerritt issued a scathing statement, saying an ‘autopsy’ would be carried out immediately.
Australian legend Ricky Ponting has called the early exit from the once-great West Indies tournament a “disgrace”.
Pollard said: “We have a young captain, we have young players, guys who would have only played a handful of T20 cricket (matches) and now they are in the World Cup.
“And when I look back on it, I sit back and have a smile on my face. Because I remember some of the things that were said last year around this time, when some people weren’t selected.
“I just had to remind those people that there was a World Cup we were going to (in 2021) and another bilateral series (in New Zealand). And now some people have the opportunity to play in the Cup. of the world. And, again, look at what happened. It’s not their fault,” he said.
“But when we tried to kind of protect them and make people understand (in 2021) they weren’t ready for it, we were castigated. There were a lot of things that were said that were sometimes very derogatory. It’s a sad day for West Indies cricket and for all of us.”
