Biography of Shaun Pollock:-Shaun Pollock is a South African International cricketer who played for Natal province, Warwickshire, and South Africa national team.
He was born on 16 July 1973 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Shaun was a natural talent, the game was in his genes back from past three generation.
His uncle and father were the greatest batsmen of their generations, but Shaun Pollock was a fast bowler and a right-handed batsman in nature.
Biography of Shaun Pollock
- Born:- 16 July 1973 (age 43), Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Height:- 1.88 m
- Spouse:- “Trish” Lauderdale
- Test Debut:- 16 November 1995 v England
- Bowling Style:- Right arm fast-medium
- Siblings:- Gavin Pollock
Shaun Pollock never took batting as a serious matter, though Proteas team required his batting skills in the tail. Shaun Pollock would be considered as a bowling all-rounder, he turned the ball away from the batsmen, and sometimes his in-swinging deliveries seemed artistic skills.
Pollock had a full support and direction from family, he had a clear path in cricket. He excelled in the bowling department for a long time. Shaun Pollock debuted in a home series against England in 1996, later that year, Pollock signed with English club Warwickshire to get a broader experience.
After recovering from an injury he suffered from in 1996 season, Shaun returned with some serious pace, this time with an added topping of swing and bounce. He took full use of his 6’ 2” height and partnered with Allan Donald as the brutal pace attack.
Shaun Pollock was appointed as the captain of Proteas team in 2000 after the match-fixing row against the former captain Hansie Cronje.
He had to carry on with a depressed and mentally shattered group of 11. Shaun lifted them up in three years of his captaincy and developed a world-class side when he handed his captaincy to Graeme Smith.
Pollock continued as an all-rounder for the next 5 years. The year 2003 was his best season, he was awarded Wisden Cricketer of the Year honor. Pollock is still the leading wicket-taker for South Africa, World Cup 2007 was his last World Cup, and he retired in the next season from both the formats of cricket.
Apart from representing the international side, in the last years of his career, Shaun Pollock played for Africa XI in a match against Asia XI in India. Pollock was the highest run-getter in that game.
He made 130 runs coming at number 7 that remained the record for few days before Dhoni broke it in the same tournament.
Shaun Pollock Stats and Records:
Shaun was a genuine ODI bowler, he was economical and intelligent. He had an experience of 300+ ODIs and 100+ Tests in his pockets when he retired.
He was a bowler from the core. In 108 test matches, Shaun scored 3781 runs at a brilliant average of 32.31 with 421 wickets that are still the most number of test wickets by any South African bowler.
It included 2 centuries and 16 fifty-run knocks. His bowling records are beautified by 16 five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket haul in the longer format.
In 303 ODIs, Pollock scored 3591 runs and took 393 wickets, most by any South African bowler. His batting average was 26.45 along with a century and fourteen 50s.
The bowling average of Shaun Pollock in test cricket was 23.11, and 24.50 in ODIs. Pollock grabbed five-wicket hauls, five times in his ODI career.
Overall, in 186 first-class matches, Shaun Pollock scored 7000+ runs and took 667 wickets. His batting and bowling average was 33.11 and 23.25 respectively. Out of 6 centuries, 150 not out were Pollock’s highest score.
Shaun Pollock is 10th in the list of best-ever bowlers in ICC all-time Bowlers Rankings. Pollock is at number six in the all-time all-rounder’s lists who scored 3000+ runs with 300+ wickets in test format.
International and Domestic Career
After a successful season with Warwickshire where Pollock took four wickets in four balls in the first match he played for the county club in 1996. Pollock had an illustrious career that started in the year 1995-96.
Pollock represented himself as a specialist bowler, he batted a bit but focused on the bowling more than batting. He broke the legacy of his home by making a career in the bowling department.
Pollock’s best spell in Test cricket was against Australia in Adelaide when he was the only successful bowler from both sides with the gifted variations and swing on a dry batting pitch.
He concluded the match with a 10-wicket haul and the career-best figures of 7/87 keeping up the pace and stamina in a scorching heat and tough bowling conditions.
After Pollock was made the captain of the team in 2000, his skills polished in both the department, he was a good fielder too. Though his captaincy started with a whitewash by Australia, the stumbled captain soon got up and fought to become a better side in 2002.
The year 2003 was horrible for him as a captain, South Africa wasout of the World Cup in the first round, and Shaun Pollock was removed from captaincy.
He played well under Smith’s captaincy but soon lost the shine and pace in the next couple of years. In late 2006 and early 2007, Pollock’s form was back with a bang, he surged with his lost speed, won two men of the series awards on Sub-continental tracks against India.
In the next series against Pakistan, Pollock shattered the Pakistani batting line-up with excellent bowling diversities.
His poor form in World Cup 2007 and the test series afterward indicated that Shaun Pollock was no more the one he used to be before the World Cup. He retired from both forms of cricket in 2008.
After retirement, Shaun Pollock was drafted for IPL season 1 in 2008. Shaun Pollock was selected by Mumbai Indians for the first season.
After IPL, Shaun Pollock contested in English County T20 Tournament and played for Durham Dynamos in summers. Pollock also played for Durham CC in 2008 county season after his retirement.
Shaun Pollock Family and Personal Life
The biography of Shaun Pollock and his ancestors and their association with cricket dates back to 1934 when AM Pollock, Shaun’s grandfather made his first-class debut. Polly belonged to a family of cricketers, he was a son, nephew, and grandson of a cricketer.
The father of Shaun Pollock’s dad, his Grandfather Andrew Pollock was a first-class cricketer who played seven matches for Orange Free State.
The cricket legacy continued in Andrew’s sons, Shaun’s father Peter Maclean Pollock and his uncle, Graeme Pollock. PM Pollock played 28 test matches and 127 first-class games, Shaun Pollock’s uncle GM Pollock is regarded as South Africa’s player of the 20th Century.
He was the finest left-handed batsman ever produced by South Africa. GM Pollock contested in 23 matches and scored 2256 at an average of 60.97 with the highest score of 274. Pollock’s great uncle Robert Howden played three first-class matches for Natal. Both of Shaun’s cousins, Andrew and Anthony Pollock played the first-class circuit for Domestic and county clubs.
Shaun Pollockmarried a model Patricia Trish Lauderdale on May 2000, his wife was a model and the finalist of Miss South Africa pageant somewhere between 1986-88.
The couple has two daughters, Jemma and Georgia Pollock. Jemma Pollock was born in August 2003, and Georgia Pollock was born in July 2006. Shaun Pollock is a devoted Christian and totally abstains from alcohol and drugs.
