Graeme Pollock

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Pollock does not need a half-volley or a long hop to score fours: he will drive on the up, or cut, force and pull anything even fractionally short of a good length

Aside from his batting abilities, Pollock was also an occasional leg-spinner. [56] His teammate Jackie McGlew claimed Pollock could have made an outstanding bowler—"He bowled right over the top and really made the ball 'fizz'"—but he bowled mainly for enjoyment and with a light heart. [57] In total, he took 4 Test wickets and 43 in first-class cricket. He was also a naturally gifted fielder. [56]

Personal life

Pollock's nephew, Shaun, played 108 Tests Shaun Pollock.JPG
Pollock's nephew, Shaun, played 108 Tests

Pollock's Scottish immigrant father Andrew Pollock played cricket for Orange Free State, while his brother, Peter Pollock, was a leading fast bowler who played 28 Test matches for South Africa. Both of Graeme Pollock's sons, Anthony Pollock and Andrew Graeme Pollock, played cricket for Transvaal and Gauteng, while his nephew, Shaun Pollock (son of Peter), retired from the South African Test team in 2008, played in 108 Test matches, captained the country from 2000 to 2003 and was South Africa's leading wicket-taker before being overtaken by Dale Steyn.

In 2003, Pollock expressed his thoughts about the sporting boycott of South Africa:

I was twenty-four. We did not give too much thought to the people who were not given the opportunities. In hindsight we certainly could have done much more in trying to get change to Southern Africa. [...] We had a good series against Australia in '67 and we probably had our best side ever. [...] Poor old Barry (Richards) played just four Tests, Mike Procter seven. But at the same time [the protesters] got it absolutely right that the way to bring about change in South Africa was in sport. It was difficult for twenty-two years ... but in hindsight it was needed and I'm delighted it did achieve change in South Africa.
—Graeme Pollock [58]

Statistical analysis

Graeme Pollock
Graeme Pollock.jpg
Pollock in 2000
Personal information
Full name
Robert Graeme Pollock
Born (1944-02-27) 27 February 1944 (age 81)
Durban, Natal Province, Union of South Africa
NicknameLittle Dog
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
BattingLeft-handed
Bowling Leg break
RoleBatsman
Relations Andrew Maclean Pollock (father)
Robert Howden (uncle)
Peter Pollock (brother)
Ravenor Nicholson (cousin)
Christopher Robert Nicholson (cousin)
Andrew Graeme Pollock (son)
Anthony Pollock (son)
Shaun Pollock (nephew)
International information
National side
Test debut(cap  218)6 December 1963 v  Australia
Last Test5 March 1970 v  Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
 Batting [59] Bowling [60]
OppositionMatchesRunsAverageHigh Score100 / 50RunsWicketsAverageBest (Inns)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 141,45369.192745/5130  
Flag of England.svg  England 875053.571372/6360443.752/50
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 15326.50300/0160  
Overall232,25660.972747/11204451.002/50
Completed Test career batting averages
Don Bradman (AUS)
99.94
Adam Voges (AUS)
61.87
Graeme Pollock (RSA)
60.97
George Headley (WI)
60.83
Herbert Sutcliffe (ENG)
60.73
Eddie Paynter (ENG)
59.23
Ken Barrington (ENG)
58.67
Everton Weekes (WI)
58.61
Wally Hammond (ENG)
58.45
Garfield Sobers (WI)
57.78

Source: Cricinfo
Qualification: 20 completed innings,
career completed.
Graeme Pollock's Test Centuries [61]
RunsMatchAgainstCity/CountryVenueYear
[1]1223Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Sydney, Australia Sydney Cricket Ground 1964
[2]1754Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Adelaide, Australia Adelaide Oval 1964
[3]13711Flag of England.svg  England Port Elizabeth, South Africa St George's Park 1965
[4]12513Flag of England.svg  England Nottingham, England Trent Bridge 1965
[5]20916Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Cape Town, South Africa Sahara Park Newlands 1966
[6]10519Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Port Elizabeth, South Africa St George's Park 1967
[7]27421Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Durban, South Africa Kingsmead 1970
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Pollock's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last 10 innings (blue line). Graeme Pollock Graph.png
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Pollock's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last 10 innings (blue line).

Notes

  1. Includes 1 match for a South African XI v Australians, (4 March 1967).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Player Profile: Graeme Pollock". CricInfo. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  3. "The real deal". CricInfo. 16 July 2003. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Chesterfield, Trevor (3 January 2000). "Pollock named South Africa's Player of the Century". CricInfo. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Williamson, Martin. "Different era, same brilliance... Pt 2". CricInfo. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  6. Houwing, Robert. "An artist in the super league of left-handers" . Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  7. "Records | Test matches | Batting records | Highest career batting average | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  8. Cricinfo (2 January 2009). "ICC and FICA launch Cricket Hall of Fame". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Roebuck, pp. 48–50.
  10. "Andrew Pollock". Player profiles. Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 Hayter (1970), pp. 52–65
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "A 'genius' of a batsman, 1988 Graeme Pollock – a retrospective". John Wisden. 1988. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  13. "Player profile: Tom Dean". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 "Cricketer of the Year – 1966: Graeme Pollock". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1966. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  15. 1 2 3 "Grey High School – Sports Legends". Grey High School. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  16. 1 2 "South African Squad – 1999 World Cup". Sports Illustrated. 12 May 1999. Archived from the original on 12 July 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  17. "Border v Eastern Province : Currie Cup 1960/61". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  18. "Transvaal B v Eastern Province: Currie Cup 1960/61". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  19. "First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Graeme Pollock". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  20. "First-class Batting and Fielding in South Africa for 1962/63 (Ordered by Average)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  21. "Eastern Province Invitation XI v International Cavaliers: International Cavaliers in South Africa 1962/63". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  22. Benaud (2005), p. 114.
  23. "Western Australia v South Africans: South Africa in Australia 1963/64". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  24. "Western Australia Combined XI v South Africans: South Africa in Australia 1963/64". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  25. "Australia v South Africa: South Africa in Australia 1963/64 (1st Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  26. "Australia v South Africa: South Africa in Australia 1963/64 (2nd Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  27. "Century on Test debut: Teen sensation breaks Graeme Pollock's South African 60-year-old record". Wisden. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  28. "South Africa v England: Marylebone Cricket Club in South Africa 1964/65 (1st Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  29. "M.C.C. team in South Africa, 1964–65". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online edition. John Wisden & Co. 1966. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  30. "Fifth Test: South Africa v England". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online edition. John Wisden & Co. 1966. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  31. "South Africa v England: Marylebone Cricket Club in South Africa 1964/65 (5th Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  32. "Test Batting and Fielding for South Africa: Marylebone Cricket Club in South Africa 1964/65". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2008. Note that England national team toured under the banner of Marylebone Cricket Club until 1977.
  33. 1 2 Smith (1996) pp. 126–135.
  34. E.W. Swanton, Sort of a Cricket Person (1972), p 207.
  35. "England v South Africa, 1965, 3rd Test". CricInfo. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  36. "South Africa v Australia: Australia in South Africa 1966/67 (1st Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  37. "First Test: South Africa v Australia". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1968. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  38. "South Africa v Australia: Australia in South Africa 1966/67 (2nd Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  39. "South Africa v Australia: Australia in South Africa 1966/67 (3rd Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  40. "Fourth Test: South Africa v Australia". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1968. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  41. "Fifth Test South Africa v Australia". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack – online archive. John Wisden & Co. 1968. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  42. "Test Batting and Fielding for South Africa: Australia in South Africa 1966/67". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  43. Oborne (2004), p. 222.
  44. Oborne (2004), pp. 223–224.
  45. 1 2 Gemmell, Jon (2004). The Politics of South African Cricket. London: Routledge. ISBN   0-7146-5346-2.
  46. "South Africa v Australian XI, 1987, 4th Test". CricInfo. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  47. Pollock, Graeme (5 July 1998). "Learn to promote students of game". Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  48. "Border v Eastern Province: Gillette Cup (South Africa) 1974/75 (1st Round)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  49. "Individual Scores of 150 and More in a ListA Match". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  50. Robinson, Peter (31 July 2000). "Pollock, Ackerman join selection panel". CricInfo. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  51. Robinson, Paul (15 May 2002). "Henry to convene new South African selection panel". CricInfo. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  52. Wilkinson, Bronwyn (7 August 2002). "Graeme Pollock appointed as UCB batting consultant". CricInfo. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  53. "Sobers and Pollock will grace final podium". WCOC Press Release. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  54. Hartman, Rodney (January 2006). "When they were kings". Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  55. Bhattacharya, Rahul (3 July 2003). "'Batting should entertain' – Interview with Barry Richards". Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 November 2008. He hit the gaps better than any player I have seen in my life  ... I mean, you might as well have had stones as fielders – hit the stone, you get nothing; miss the stone, you get four
  56. 1 2 3 Martin-Jenkins (1980), p. 276
  57. McGlew, Jackie (1984). "Graeme Pollock: Simply One of the Greatest". Protea Cricket Annual of South Africa. in St Georges Park History. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  58. Oborne (2004), pp. 251–252.
  59. "Statsguru — RG Pollock — Test matches — Batting analysis". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  60. "Statsguru — RG Pollock — Test Bowling — Bowling analysis". Cricinfo . Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  61. "RG Pollock – Test matches – Batting analysis – High scores". CricInfo. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  62. "Statsguru – RG Pollock- Test matches – All-round analysis". Cricinfo . Retrieved 15 April 2008.

References

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