Name:

Pollock, Shaun M

Nickname:

Polly

Date of Birth:

16 Jul 1973

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Port Elizabeth

Career:

Test: 1995 - 2008
ODI: 1996 - 2008
T20: 2005 - 2008

Teams:

South Africa (Country)

Shaun Pollock - 'Duckworth and Lewis aren't on my Christmas card list yet'

Shaun Pollock (born 16 July 1973) is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history and among South Africa’s finest fast bowlers.

Born in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), he comes from one of the country’s most distinguished cricketing families. His father, Peter Pollock, and uncle, Graeme Pollock, both represented South Africa with distinction.

A right-arm fast-medium bowler and dependable right-handed batter, Pollock made his international debut in 1995 and quickly established himself through impeccable accuracy, subtle seam movement and remarkable consistency.

He succeeded Hansie Cronje as South Africa’s captain in 2000 after the match fixing saga and led South Africa in 26 Tests, winning 7, losing 8 and drawing 11, as well as 138 One-Day Internationals, recording 83 wins, 40 defeats, 3 ties and **12 no-results.

Pollock enjoyed an outstanding international career spanning 108 Tests, 303 One-Day Internationals and 12 Twenty20 Internationals. In Test cricket he scored 3,781 runs at an average of 32.31, including 2 centuries and 16 half-centuries, with a highest score of 111, while taking 421 wickets at 23.11, including 16 five-wicket hauls and best figures of 7 for 87.

In ODIs he scored 3,519 runs at 26.45, with one century and 14 fifties, and claimed 393 wickets at 24.50, including five four-wicket hauls and best figures of 6 for 35. He remains one of only a handful of players to achieve the remarkable double of 3,000 Test runs and 400 Test wickets.

One of the defining moments of Pollock’s captaincy came during the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. South Africa entered the tournament as one of the favourites but suffered a dramatic group-stage exit after a costly miscalculation in their final pool match against Sri Lanka at Durban. Chasing a revised Duckworth–Lewis target in rain-affected conditions, the team mistakenly believed they had reached the score required to qualify for the Super Six stage when Mark Boucher hit a boundary to level the scores. In fact, South Africa needed one more run to advance. The match ended in a tie as rain prevented any further play, eliminating the hosts in one of the most infamous moments in World Cup history. Although Pollock accepted responsibility as captain, the error stemmed from incorrect target information relayed to the dressing room and remains one of cricket’s greatest tactical blunders.

Renowned for his immaculate line and length rather than express pace, Pollock consistently troubled the world’s best batters by extracting movement off the seam and maintaining relentless accuracy. His partnership with Allan Donald formed one of the most formidable new-ball combinations of the late 1990s and early 2000s, while his calm temperament and professionalism earned widespread respect throughout the cricketing world.

Following his retirement in 2008, Pollock became one of the game’s most respected television commentators and analysts. His achievements place him firmly among South Africa’s all-time cricketing greats and one of the finest all-rounders the sport has ever produced.