Introduction
Shaun Pollock is a name synonymous with cricket excellence. He is not only a bowler of great reputation, but he knows what perseverance means and what dedication is. He hails from South Africa and his career commenced rather early. Over the years, Shaun Pollock had many hurdles, but they were, in the end, sources of strength rather than any kind of weakness. His exceptional abilities and tactical prowess ensured that he had a crucial role as part of the South African team – the Proteas. Today, let us travel through time and space to unveil the life and accomplishments of Shaun Pollock and the great game of cricket he has played.
Shaun Pollock Biography
| Full Name | Shaun Maclean Pollock |
| Place Of Birth | Port Elizabeth, Cape Province |
| Born | July 16, 1973 |
| Age | 51y 78d |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Playing Role | Allrounder |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm Fast medium |
| Shaun Pollock Spouse | Trish Lauderdale |
Shaun Pollock Wife
Shaun Pollock’s wife, Patricia Lauderdale, was a Miss South Africa competitor in the early 1990s. The pair maintain a close-knit family life with their two children.
Shaun Pollock: A Cricketing Legend
Shaun Maclean Pollock, OIS was born on July 16, 1973. He is a famous former South African cricketer and cricket commentator. All the years of Pollock’s career, he led his side in each version of the game. He played in a good combination with other key bowlers such as Allan Donald as a bowling all-rounder. In his career, he has played in many teams like Africa XI, and World XI, traded Dolphins and also those of Warwickshire. Most remarkably, he was awarded the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in the year 2003.
International Career Highlights
In 1998, Pollock was part of the South African team that won the ICC Knockout Trophy. This remains South Africa’s only ICC trophy to date. He announced his retirement from international cricket on January 11, 2008, after 303 One Day Internationals. Pollock now works as a commentator for SuperSport, covering South African cricket. In November 2021, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Prominent Achievements
Pollock is ranked 10th jointly in ICC ratings for best bowlers of all time. He took over four hundred wickets and captured more than 3700 runs in 108 test matches. During his days, he was one of the six players who had marked 3000 plus runs and took over 300 wickets in the Tests. In the ODI of June 2007, he made the news by hitting 130 runs from the number seven position for the African eleven against Asia. At that time, it was a record for the highest score earned by a batsman from number seven position in an ODI. Pollock has no such shots and hence the later record was broken by MS Dhoni. Instead, Pollock won some worthy awards, including the SA Player’s Player of the Award in 2007.
Leadership and Challenges
Pollock was appointed as the skipper of the national cricket team of South Africa in April 2000. He was a tennis player from 2000 as he replaced Hansie Cronje who had received a life ban. He was not captain after the World Cup tournament in 2003 but continued in the team. In 2005, null and Void took criticism after the inputs submitted there of parts of the Australia Test series because he had lost wicket-taking ability. Still, he has the biggest achievement as the holder of the minimum economy rate of a bowler with more than 300 ODI wickets. Also, he became the first South African as well as the 10th cricketer to pick up 400 wickets in Test Cricket.
Domestic Career and Records
Pollock made a memorable first professional match appearance for Warwickshire as one was on a blitz in 1996 snatching four wickets in four balls. He next picked up a contract to play for Mumbai Indians in the assessed Indian Premier League. In the Twenty20 Cup, he played for Durham Dynamos. Pollock is a batsman of high regard due to his ability to control the game with no more than three point six five runs per over.
His accolades include, the greatest number of Test centuries with his batting order of number 9 or below, and most Test match runs came before a Test ton. Wicketkeepers held the record for how many ODI innings have been played without even encountering the batting side’s batting average in ODIs. The unfortunate distinction of being the first Test captain to be marooned with an innings total of 99 went to him as well. Most ODI wicket records at home belong to him. He also bowled the highest number of maiden overs in the history of ODI which was 313.
Personal Life
Shaun Pollock happens to be of Scottish descent in most of his family background. Andrew Pollock, Shaun’s paternal grandfather, represented the Orange Free State cricket team. As a student, Pollock went to the Northwood School in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, and later obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Natal. He is politically active and has a wife and two daughters, the wife participated in a contest and reached the finals of Miss South Africa, at the beginning of the 90s. He is a Christian abstainer healthy and well-mannered off the field life as well.
Shaun Pollock Stats
Batting & Fielding Career Summary
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
| Tests | 108 | 156 | 39 | 3781 | 111 | 32.31 | 7198 | 52.52 | 2 | 16 | 412 | 35 | 72 | 0 |
| ODIs | 303 | 205 | 72 | 3519 | 130 | 26.45 | 4059 | 86.69 | 1 | 14 | 248 | 58 | 108 | 0 |
| T20Is | 12 | 9 | 2 | 86 | 36* | 12.28 | 70 | 122.85 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| FC | 186 | 267 | 55 | 7023 | 150* | 33.12 | – | – | 6 | 35 | – | – | 132 | 0 |
| List A | 435 | 297 | 91 | 5494 | 134* | 26.66 | – | – | 3 | 24 | – | – | 153 | 0 |
| T20s | 46 | 34 | 7 | 569 | 59 | 21.07 | 401 | 141.89 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 28 | 9 | 0 |
Bowling Career Summary
| M | Inn | B | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Econ | Avg | SR | 4W | 5W | 10W | |
| Tests | 108 | 202 | 24353 | 9733 | 421 | 7/87 | 10/147 | 23.11 | 2.39 | 57.8 | 23 | 16 | 1 |
| ODIs | 303 | 297 | 15712 | 9631 | 393 | 6/35 | 6/35 | 24.50 | 3.67 | 39.9 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| T20Is | 12 | 11 | 243 | 309 | 15 | 3/28 | 3/28 | 20.60 | 7.62 | 16.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FC | 186 | – | 39067 | 15508 | 667 | 7/33 | – | 23.25 | 2.38 | 58.5 | – | 22 | 2 |
| List A | 435 | – | 21588 | 13141 | 573 | 6/21 | 6/21 | 22.93 | 3.65 | 37.6 | 18 | 7 | 0 |
| T20s | 46 | 43 | 937 | 996 | 45 | 3/12 | 3/12 | 22.13 | 6.37 | 20.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Shaun Pollock’s Retirement
After enjoying a successful career for several years, Shaun Pollock had to endure a fierce fight for form as he battled with form and injury. He revealed in a match against the West Indies that he would no longer play Test cricket. This decision was followed by the announcement of retiring from ODI cricket during the next series. At age thirty-five, Pollock retired in 2008 after a thirteen-year career of playing for his country internationally. He still retains this title even after hanging up his boots. However, Dale Steyn might shatter this record in the next series against India. Further, the only player in history to have scored 3000 and taken 3000 in Tests and ODIs, Pollock remains one of a kind.
Where is Shaun Pollock today?
Nowadays, the former cricketer is a cricket analyst on the Super Sports platform covering activities in South Africa and a lecture. He is known for his warm and bubbly personality which makes him the life of any event.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Shaun Pollock’s journey in cricket is really inspiring. Throughout his career, he overcame challenges and accomplished incredible success. He was a record-breaking player who led with elegance. His contributions to South African cricket will always be remembered. Even after he retired from the game, Shaun Pollock is still held in high respect. Future generations of cricket players will continue to find inspiration in his legacy.
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Discover Shaun Pollock’s inspiring cricket journey, his remarkable achievements, and lasting impact on the sport in this comprehensive biography.
FAQs
1. What are Shaun Pollock’s major achievements in cricket?
Among his many accomplishments is the title of top wicket-taker in South Africa, held by Shaun Pollock. In Test matches, he amassed over 3,700 runs and claimed over 400 wickets. Furthermore, in both Tests and ODIs, Pollock is the only player to have both 3,000 runs and 3,000 wickets taken. In 2003, he was again awarded Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
2. When did Shaun Pollock retire from international cricket?
Shaun Pollock announced his retirement from international cricket in 2008 at the age of thirty-five. After retiring during a Test match against the West Indies, he concluded his career in the ODI series. Pollock has had a successful 13-year career overseas.
3. What is Shaun Pollock doing after retirement?
After retiring from cricket, Shaun Pollock transitioned into commentary. He works as a commentator for SuperSport, covering South African cricket. Pollock also remains active in the cricket community and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in November 2021.
