Shaun Pollock

Shaun Maclean Pollock OIS (born 16 July 1973) is a South African cricket commentator and former cricketer, who was captain in all formats of the game. A bowling all-rounder, Pollock along with Allan Donald formed a bowling partnership for many years. From 2000 to 2003 he was the captain of the South African cricket team, and also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire. He was chosen as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2003. Pollock was a member of the South Africa team that won the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy, the only ICC trophy the country has won till date.

Shaun Pollock
Personal information
Full name
Shaun Maclean Pollock
Born (1973-07-16) 16 July 1973
Port Elizabeth, Cape Province, South Africa
NicknamePolly
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm fast-medium
RoleBowling All-rounder
RelationsAndrew Pollock (grandfather)
Peter Pollock (father)
Graeme Pollock (uncle)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 261)16 November 1995 v England
Last Test10 January 2008 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 39)9 January 1996 v England
Last ODI3 February 2008 v West Indies
ODI shirt no.7
T20I debut (cap 10)21 October 2005 v New Zealand
Last T20I18 January 2008 v West Indies
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1992/93–2003/04KwaZulu-Natal
1996–2002Warwickshire
2004/05Dolphins
2008Mumbai Indians
2008Durham
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 108 303 186 435
Runs scored 3,781 3,519 7,021 5,494
Batting average 32.31 26.45 33.11 26.66
100s/50s 2/16 1/14 6/35 3/24
Top score 111 130 150* 134*
Balls bowled 24,353 15,712 39,067 21,588
Wickets 421 393 667 573
Bowling average 23.11 24.50 23.25 22.93
5 wickets in innings 16 5 22 7
10 wickets in match 1 0 2 0
Best bowling 7/87 6/35 7/33 6/21
Catches/stumpings 72/– 108/– 132/– 153/–
Source: CricketArchive, 20 September 2016
Medal record
Representing  South Africa
Men's Cricket
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place1998 Kuala LumpurList-A cricket

On 11 January 2008 he announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket after his 303rd One Day International on 3 February.[1] Pollock now works as a commentator on SuperSport's coverage of South African cricket.

In November 2021, he was inducted to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[2]

International career

Prominence

He is joint 10th in the all-time best ever bowler ratings in the ICC Ratings,[3] and has taken over 400 wickets and at the time of his retirement was one of only six players to have scored 3000 runs and taken 300 wickets in Test matches.

In June 2007 he represented an Africa XI in an ODI game against an Asia XI in Bangalore. Playing as a specialist batsman, Pollock scored 130 from number 7 in the batting order, the highest ever score by an ODI batsman in that position.[4] The record would however not last long, MS Dhoni bettered it later in the series. In 2007, he received the SA Player's Player award and the SA ODI Player of the Year Award.[5][6]

He was the leading wicket taker for South Africa in Tests until Dale Steyn overtook him on 26 December 2018. He took over 400 test wickets and scored over 3,700 test runs in his 108 Test matches.[7][8]

Captaincy

Shaun Pollock was a bowling all-rounder. After Hansie Cronje was banned from cricket for life, Pollock took over the captaincy in April 2000. He was eventually removed from the captaincy after South Africa's performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.[9]

Pollock batting for South Africa in 1998 at Trent Bridge

Although no longer captain, he retained his place in the team. After a disappointing Test series tour of Australia in 2005/2006, he faced criticism for losing his wicket taking ability. He has the lowest (best) economy rate of any bowler to have taken 300 ODI wickets,[10] and he is also the first South African and only the tenth player to take 400 Test wickets. In September 2007 he was dropped from the South African test side for the first time in his career.[7] Pollock was later readded to the test series against the West Indies, whereupon he announced his retirement, effective on 3 February 2008. He stated that "I realise I have been blessed by God and feel I have nurtured my talents to the best of my abilities."[1] After South Africa sealed a series victory against the West Indies, Graeme Smith paid tribute to Pollock, stating "It's very important that people celebrate what he's given to South African cricket and what he's achieved as an individual."[11]

Domestic career

Pollock took four wickets in four balls on his first appearance for Warwickshire – in a limited-overs (B&H Cup) game v Leicestershire at Birmingham in 1996.

A graph showing Pollock's test career bowling statistics and how they have varied over time.

In Summer 2008 Pollock represented Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, and Durham Dynamos in the 2008 Twenty20 Cup in England. He played for Durham County Cricket Club in the North East of England and along with fellow South African Albie Morkel was used mainly in the Twenty20 Cup competition.

Of the 18 players who have bowled at least 2,000 balls for South Africa in ODIs, Pollock's economy rate of 3.65 runs per over was the second best behind that of Fanie de Villiers.[12]

Records
  • Shaun Pollock has the record for the most Test centuries while batting at number 9 or below (2).[13]
  • He also holds the record for playing the most ODI innings before scoring a century (189).[14]
  • Shaun Pollock also holds the record for becoming the first test captain to be stranded or to be remained unbeaten on 99 in a test innings.[15][16]
  • He too holds the record for taking the most ODI wickets when playing at home soil (193).[17]
  • Shaun Pollock holds the record for bowling most Maiden overs in ODI history (313).

Personal life

Pollock comes from a family of mainly Scottish ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Andrew Pollock, who played for Orange Free State, was born in Edinburgh.[18] He attended Northwood School in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He is married with two daughters. His wife was a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant in the early '90s and worked for a South African telecom company.[19] He is a teetotaler and a devout Christian.[20][21] Pollock is a graduate of the University of Natal with a bachelor's degree in commerce.

References
  1. "Pollock announces his retirement". BBC News. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  2. "Janette Brittin, Mahela Jayawardene and Shaun Pollock inducted into ICC Hall of Fame". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  3. LG ICC Best-Ever Test Bowling Ratings
  4. "Records – One-Day Internationals – Most runs in an innings (by batting position)". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  5. "Pollock gets 3 nominations in SA cricket awards". Hindustan Times. 6 May 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  6. "Pollock named South African Cricketer of the Year". ESPN. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  7. "Morkel injury hands Pollock hope". BBC News. 29 September 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  8. "Steyn ties Pollock atop all-time SA wicket-taker list". Sport24. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  9. "Cricket's darkest day". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. 3 March 2019.
  10. "Records – One-Day Internationals – Most wickets in career". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. Archived from the original on 16 July 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  11. "Smith salutes legendary Pollock". BBC News. 12 January 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  12. "Records / South Africa / One-Day Internationals / Best economy rates". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  13. "Most test centuries at each batting positions". www.howstat.com. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  14. "HowSTAT! ODI Cricket - Most Innings before First Century". www.howstat.com. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  15. "Statistics / Statsguru / Test matches / Batting records". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  16. "Stranded on 99, and stranded on four". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  17. "Most wickets taken by a bowler in ODI matches played at home soil". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  18. "Players and Officials – Andrew Pollock". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. 1 September 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  19. "Pollock in doubt for Sri Lanka". The Indian Express. 9 June 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  20. "Cricinfo Quote Unquote – Gibbs reveals the failure to get teetotaler Pollock to break the habit". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  21. Personal Information on Shaun Pollock Retrieved 3 December 2022.
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