Happy Birthday Shaun Pollock

He has been regarded as one of the greatest bowling all rounders in the history of cricket. Shaun Pollock was born 16th July, 1973 at Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, South Africa. A 6 foot tall, handy cricketer who were one of the few prominence to contribute immensely for the development and rise of cricket in South Africa. While many were starting to play cricket for other countries due to payment, food and further development, he wanted to represent South Africa and he served well for his country.

He made his international debut for South Africa at the age of 22, during the year 1995. Before making his International debut, he was playing domestic cricket for Kwazulu Natal. After his International cricket debut, he was featuring in Warwickshire domestic cricket team.

He made his debut as a fast bowler, a pure fast bowler. After seeing his some sort of batting skills, he was promoted above the order. He has been known for his attacking spells and when we think of greatest all rounders of all time in International Circuit, his name will definitely leads the charts.

He is one of the very few to score 3000 runs and at the same time, to scalp 300 wickets at Test Cricket. This record stands not only for the Test Cricket, but also at ODI Cricket, he has scored more than 3000 runs and also picked up 400 wickets.

His game is so simple. At whatever position, does the team asks him get in, he comes in, and he plays some quick innings, to ensure an addition of 15-20 runs in the end. Usually, he was the one to create a strategy of an excess of 15 to 20 runs factor, which right now each and every team builds a finisher in them.

Also, basically being an all rounder, it is so difficult to maintain his position in the team for about 13 years. That too, being a fast bowling all rounder, it remains so hard but this man had successfully did it. But, his retirement was a bit too early, but the reason were so simple which each and every fast bowler in the world would face. 

He announced his retirement in 2008, after his pace started dropping and also the emergence of new young fast bowlers for South African Cricket Team. He has been ranked No.1 in both test and ODI formats in the category of both as a bowler and also as an all rounder. Until 2018, he was the bowler to claim most wickets for South African cricket team, which was broken by Dale Steyn.

Personally, I admired his pull shots and his lofted sixes over the covers and deep long on direction. He has an immense ability to score quick runs in an over. Also his steep bouncers to the opposition teams, especially in the test cricket were one of its kind.