vaibhav mehta
Chairman of Selectors
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2007
- Online Cricket Games Owned
He was gracious and non-controversial. There were no tantrums or abusive words from him; he let the bat and ball do the talking for him. Yes, Shaun Pollock?s all round skills were second to none as the remarkable statistics associated with his career will testify. Figures do not always tell the story but in Pollock?s case they certainly convey his ubiquitous qualities in both forms of the game.
If we go for one day record first. With a stupendous double of 3519 runs and 393 wickets from 303 ODIs Pollock was only the second player after Wasim Akram to complete the double of 3500 runs and 350 wickets in the limited-over version. He is by far the leading wicket taker for South Africa and fourth on the all time list with only Akram, Muthiah Muralitharan and Waqar Younis ahead of him. During his last series against West Indies Pollock became the first South African to play 300 ODIs a tribute to his multi faceted skills and almost fanatical levels of fitness.
Even when Pollock was a young tearaway he was pretty *****rdly and late in his career when he lost a few yards of pace he became even more miserly. With an astounding economy-rate of 3.67, Pollock is one of the most parsimonious bowlers among the leading wicket-takers in ODIs. It is no surprise that the most economical analysis in South African ODI history ? 10-4-9-1 against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in 2004 ? stands in Pollock?s name. The figures are enhanced when one recalls that he also scored in excess of 3500 runs at an average of 26.45 but even more importantly at a highly impressive strike rate of 86.69.
Pollock?s departure can only make cricket that much poorer. Australians always take pride in saying that they play the game hard but fair but as is well known they exceed the limits of acceptable behaviour. If they wanted a role model they could have found one in Pollock. He played the game hard and fair and well within the parameters of acceptable behaviour. He was one cricketer who kept his emotions under check and preferred to concentrate on his all round ability that played a notable role in South Africa?s numerous success stories in the period 1995-2008.
If we go for one day record first. With a stupendous double of 3519 runs and 393 wickets from 303 ODIs Pollock was only the second player after Wasim Akram to complete the double of 3500 runs and 350 wickets in the limited-over version. He is by far the leading wicket taker for South Africa and fourth on the all time list with only Akram, Muthiah Muralitharan and Waqar Younis ahead of him. During his last series against West Indies Pollock became the first South African to play 300 ODIs a tribute to his multi faceted skills and almost fanatical levels of fitness.
Even when Pollock was a young tearaway he was pretty *****rdly and late in his career when he lost a few yards of pace he became even more miserly. With an astounding economy-rate of 3.67, Pollock is one of the most parsimonious bowlers among the leading wicket-takers in ODIs. It is no surprise that the most economical analysis in South African ODI history ? 10-4-9-1 against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in 2004 ? stands in Pollock?s name. The figures are enhanced when one recalls that he also scored in excess of 3500 runs at an average of 26.45 but even more importantly at a highly impressive strike rate of 86.69.
Pollock?s departure can only make cricket that much poorer. Australians always take pride in saying that they play the game hard but fair but as is well known they exceed the limits of acceptable behaviour. If they wanted a role model they could have found one in Pollock. He played the game hard and fair and well within the parameters of acceptable behaviour. He was one cricketer who kept his emotions under check and preferred to concentrate on his all round ability that played a notable role in South Africa?s numerous success stories in the period 1995-2008.
