We are not looking too far ahead: Pollock

Pollock said missing the services of master batsman and regular captain Sachin Tendulkar was indeed frustrating.

“It was frustrating to see Sachin, who can win a match off his own with the bat or the ball, not able to play. But he’s got a good chance of playing on our next match (on May 14 against Chennai Super Kings),” said the ace all-rounder who has retired from international cricket.

“I should be okay for the next match with some rest,” he said when asked about his back niggle.

Pollock said that it would indeed be a tough task to play seven matches running in just under a fortnight when action resumes for the squad on Wednesday.

“We have seven matches in say 14 days. We had a momentum and we have this break. But at the same time it helps players to take some rest, and for us to rework our strategies for the coming matches,” he said.

Pollock said that the stumping effected by teammate and young Maharashtra Ranji Trophy player Yogesh Takawale yesterday off his bowling to send back compatriot Graeme Smith was only the second such dismissal in his career.

Smiling at the memory, Pollock said, “That’s what this IPL is about, getting to match your wiles against your countryman. It was a planned dismissal. We saw Graeme coming down the wicket in the previous over (of Ashish Nehra) and planned it,” he said.

Takawale stood close to the stumps against the pace bowler and effected a stumping despite a fumble as the left-handed Smith had gone too far out and did not try to regain the crease.

“No, that was the second time it has happened off my bowling,” he elaborated.

Pollock did not want the team’s focus to get diverted by the enquiry being conducted by the Cricket Board about the slapping incident involving Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth.

“He’s a fine player. But it’s not under our control (the probe and its findings). No, we will not be disturbed by something which is not controllable,” he said.