Shaun Pollock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shaun Pollock

Pollock around 2005
Personal information
Full name	Shaun Maclean Pollock
Born	(1973-07-16) 16 July 1973 (age 52) Port Elizabeth, Cape Province, South Africa
Nickname	Polly
Height	186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm fast-medium
Role	All-rounder
Relations	Andrew Pollock (grandfather) Peter Pollock (father) Graeme Pollock (uncle)
International information
National side	South Africa (1995–2008)
Test debut (cap 261)	16 November 1995 v England
Last Test	10 January 2008 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 39)	9 January 1996 v England
Last ODI	3 February 2008 v West Indies
ODI shirt no.	7
T20I debut (cap 10)	21 October 2005 v New Zealand
Last T20I	18 January 2008 v West Indies
T20I shirt no.	7
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1992/93–2003/04	KwaZulu-Natal
1996–2002	Warwickshire
2004/05	Dolphins
2008	Mumbai Indians
2008	Durham
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/–
Medal record Representing  South Africa Men's Cricket Commonwealth Games Gold 1998 Kuala Lumpur List-A cricket
Source: CricketArchive, 20 September 2016

Shaun Maclean Pollock (born 16 July 1973) is a famous South African cricket commentator and a former star player. He was known as a great all-rounder, which means he was excellent at both bowling and batting. For many years, he and Allan Donald were a powerful bowling duo for South Africa.

Pollock was the captain of the South African cricket team from 2000 to 2003. He also played for teams like the Dolphins in South Africa and Warwickshire in England. In 2003, he was named one of the best players in the world by Wisden. He was also part of the team that won South Africa's first major international trophy, the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy.

After a long and successful career, he retired from international cricket in 2008. Today, you can hear him as a commentator for SuperSport, sharing his expert knowledge of the game. In November 2021, he was honored by being added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

A Star on the World Stage

Shaun Pollock was one of the best cricketers of his time. He was one of only a few players in history to score over 3,000 runs and take over 300 wickets in Test matches. This shows how skilled he was as an all-rounder.

Pollock batting for South Africa in 1998 at Trent Bridge

He was also known for his very accurate bowling. In One Day International (ODI) matches, he had an amazing economy rate. This means he made it very difficult for the other team to score runs when he was bowling. Until 2018, he held the record for the most Test wickets taken by a South African bowler, with over 400 wickets.

Leading the Team

In April 2000, Pollock became the captain of the South African team after the previous captain, Hansie Cronje, had to leave cricket. He led the team for three years. Even after he was no longer captain, he remained a very important player for South Africa.

In 2008, Pollock announced he would retire from international cricket. He said, "I realise I have been blessed by God and feel I have nurtured my talents to the best of my abilities." The team captain at the time, Graeme Smith, praised him, saying it was important for people to celebrate everything Pollock had given to South African cricket.

Playing for Clubs

Besides playing for his country, Pollock also played for several club teams. He had an amazing start with the English team Warwickshire in 1996, where he took four wickets in just four balls in his first game.

A graph showing how Pollock's Test career bowling statistics changed over time.

Later in his career, in 2008, he played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also played for the Durham Dynamos in England's Twenty20 Cup competition. His skill and experience were valuable to every team he joined.

Amazing Records

Pollock set many records during his career. Here are a few of them:

• He scored the most Test centuries (two) for a player batting at number 9 or lower in the lineup.
• He played the most ODI matches (189) before finally scoring his first century.
• He was the first Test captain to be left unbeaten with a score of 99.
• He took the most ODI wickets (193) on his home grounds in South Africa.
• He bowled the most maiden overs (overs where the other team scores zero runs) in ODI history, with a total of 313.

Personal Life

Shaun Pollock comes from a family with a long history in cricket. His father, Peter, and his uncle, Graeme, were both famous South African cricketers. His grandfather, Andrew, also played cricket.

Pollock grew up in Durban and later earned a degree in commerce from the University of Natal. He is married and has two daughters. He is also a devout Christian.