Shaun Pollock retires

Pollock, one of the present greats has decided that the past weekend’s test match against the WI’s was his last international test.

In a sense he was pushed because the South African selectors has been ignoring him for the last year saying he was too slow. Too slow or not, he remained in the top 10 bowlers during the last year.

A pity that he announced his retirement now as he only needed another 219 runs (for him not so difficult) to enable him to join Kapel Dev as players with more than 400 wickets and 4000 runs.

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

definitely one of the best bowlers, sometimes underrated
sad to see how he was treated by selectors (and smith?) but i guess they building a team for the future and he wasnt part of it

still has some ODIs left but wish him good luck for the future, i think he will be involved with the game in some way

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

Pollock was a great all-rounder to me. Dangerous hitter as batsman while great Line-n-Length bowler :k:

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

A great sportsmen with lots of talent has had to quit :(
We will keep him in good memories.

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

He always reminds me of Howard Roark from the novel The Fountainhead

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

Why, if I may ask ?

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

One reason, orange. I know Pollock's hair are not orange in color, but they are not blond as well.

"Howard Roark laughed. He stood naked at the edge of a cliff...His body leaned back against the sky. It was a body of long straight lines and angles, each curve broken into planes. He stood, rigid, his hands hanging at his sides, palms out. He felt his shoulder blades drawn tight together, the curve of his neck, and the weight of the blood in his hands. He felt the wind behind him, in the hollow of his spine. The wind waved his hair against the sky. His hair was neither blond nor red, but the exact color of ripe orange rind...His face was like a law of nature - a thing one could not question, alter or implore. It had high cheekbones over gaunt, hollow cheeks; gray eyes, cold and steady; a contemptuous mouth, shut tight, the mouth of an executioner or a saint."

And that's the very reason why I could never like the movie fountainhead. Gary Cooper does not have orange hair. Another guy which reminds me of Roark is the lead singer of MLTR.

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

One of the best all-rounder I've seen. He always bowled with line and length. Wish him all the best in the future.

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

Great bowler, few of his kind are around. He bowled very close from the stumps and seamed it both ways. Saw him destroy our top order many times..

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

The South African ‘Glenn McGrath’. Always kept it tight and in his prime, almost as difficult to score runs off as McGrath. And a more than handy lower-order batsman. I will always remember his sensational bowling performance (5/37) in October 1997 when he destroyed us on a seemingly docile Faisalabad pitch. Pakistan needing a mere 146 for victory were bundled out for just 92.
http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1997-98/RSA_IN_PAK/RSA_PAK_T3_24-27OCT1997.html

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

Great player, great talent. He will be missed.

Re: Shaun Pollock retires

Pollock is really exiting on a high against the West Indies:

Last Test: Not picked for first two. In third test 4 wickets for 35 runs in first innings - proving he still has it.

Twenty20: Bowling 1 for 19 runs off 4 overs and then batting 36 runs off 35 balls to clinch the game.

Second ODI: 2 wickets for 13 runs in 10 overs. Give me 5 bowlers with figures like that and average batsmen will be able to wrap up the ODI!

Good to see someone getting off the bus while still very competitive.