Shaun Pollock facts for kids
Pollock c. 2005
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Shaun Maclean Pollock
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| Born | 16 July 1973 Port Elizabeth, Cape Province, South Africa |
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| 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) |
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| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 20 September 2016
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Medal record
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Shaun Maclean Pollock (born 16 July 1973) is a famous South African cricket player. He was also a captain for the national team. Shaun was known as a great all-rounder. This means he was good at both batting and bowling.
He played alongside Allan Donald for many years. They formed a strong bowling team. From 2000 to 2003, Shaun was the captain of the South African cricket team. He also played for other teams like Africa XI and World XI. In 2003, he was named the Wisden Cricketer of the Year. This is a very special award in cricket.
Shaun Pollock was part of the South Africa team that won the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy. This was the only major trophy the country has won so far. He announced his retirement from international cricket on 11 January 2008. His last game was on 3 February. Today, Shaun works as a cricket commentator for SuperSport. In November 2021, he was added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. This is a huge honour for a cricketer.
Contents
Shaun Pollock's International Cricket Journey
Becoming a Top Player
Shaun Pollock was one of the best bowlers in the world. He is ranked among the top 10 bowlers in ICC history. He took over 400 wickets in Test cricket. When he retired, he was one of only six players to have scored 3,000 runs and taken 300 wickets in Test matches. This shows how good he was at both batting and bowling.
In June 2007, he played for an Africa XI team against an Asia XI. In that game, Shaun scored 130 runs. This was the highest score ever by a number 7 batsman in a ODI game at that time. He also won the SA Player's Player award and the SA ODI Player of the Year Award in 2007.
Shaun was the top wicket-taker for South Africa in Test matches for a long time. Dale Steyn later took over this record in 2018. Shaun took over 400 Test wickets and scored more than 3,700 Test runs in his 108 Test matches.
Leading the Team as Captain
Shaun Pollock became the captain of the South African team in April 2000. He took over after Hansie Cronje left the captaincy. He led the team until after the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
Even after he was no longer captain, Shaun remained an important player. He kept his place in the team. He is known for having a very low (best) economy rate. This means he gave away very few runs when he bowled in ODIs. He was also the first South African player to take 400 Test wickets. He was only the tenth player in the world to achieve this.
In September 2007, he was left out of the South African Test team for the first time. However, he was soon called back for the Test series against the West Indies. During this series, he announced that he would retire from international cricket on 3 February 2008. He said he felt "blessed by God" and had used his talents as best he could. After South Africa won the series, his captain, Graeme Smith, praised Shaun. He said people should celebrate all that Shaun had given to South African cricket.
Shaun Pollock's Club Cricket
Shaun Pollock also played for different clubs. In 1996, he played for Warwickshire in England. In his very first game for them, he took four wickets in four balls! This is a rare and amazing achievement in cricket.
In 2008, Shaun played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also played for Durham Dynamos in England. He was mainly used in the Twenty20 Cup competition for Durham.
Shaun Pollock had one of the best economy rates among South African bowlers in ODIs. He gave away only 3.65 runs per over. This was the second best rate among bowlers who bowled at least 2,000 balls for South Africa.
Amazing Cricket Records
Shaun Pollock holds some unique records in cricket:
- He has scored the most Test centuries (2) while batting at number 9 or lower.
- He played the most ODI innings (189) before scoring his first century.
- He is the first Test captain to be left not out on 99 runs in an innings.
- He has taken the most ODI wickets (193) while playing on home soil.
- Shaun Pollock has bowled the most "Maiden overs" (313) in ODI history. A maiden over is when a bowler bowls six balls without any runs being scored.
Shaun Pollock's Life Off the Field
Shaun Pollock comes from a family with Scottish roots. His grandfather, Andrew Pollock, was also a cricketer. Shaun went to Northwood School in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He is married and has two daughters. His wife was a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant.
Shaun is a teetotaler, which means he does not drink alcohol. He is also a devout Christian. He studied at the University of Natal and has a bachelor's degree in commerce.
