Dubai, Nov 14 South African cricketing great Allan Donald has written a heartfelt congratulatory letter to all-rounder Shaun Pollock who was inducted into the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Hall of Fame on Saturday evening.
The former Proteas pace bowler has said that Pollock had joined some of the cricketing greats from the country including Barry Richards, Jacques Kallis, Aubrey Faulkner and Graeme Pollock, adding that the sacrifices and surgeries he underwent during his playing days have been deservedly rewarded by the ICC.
Pollock scored 7386 runs and took 829 wickets in international cricket. The son of former South African player Peter Pollock and nephew of ICC Hall of Famer Graeme Pollock, Shaun Pollock went on to play 108 Tests, 303 ODIs and 12 T20Is across 13 years after making his Test debut in 1995 against England.
It was with the ball that Pollock was truly special, but as a batter he stood out as well, managing three centuries in total. Two of those hundreds came in Test cricket, in which he made 3,781 runs at an average of 32.31 with a further 16 half-centuries to boot.
"I remember when I first learned about my induction into the ICC Hall of Fame. I was in Canterbury, and I remember opening it, slowly reading through and getting that unbelievable sensation of what a privilege it was. It is not something we dream of when we start our careers but for me, it comes from a deep desire to be the best you can every single day," said Donald in his letter to Pollock.
"The fact that you, Shaun, will join myself, Barry Richards, Jacques Kallis, Aubrey Faulkner and of course your uncle Graeme (Pollock), in being inducted is an enormously proud moment for all of us in South African cricket. Having you there, and deservedly so, makes all those sacrifices and operations, the sore feet and sore body worth it."
Donald added that the name Pollock in South African cricket carried a lot of weight and that Shaun Pollock would have been under tremendous pressure to live up to the expectations of the people in South Africa as he came from a family of illustrious cricketers.
"I still remember the first time I came across you. (West Indies pace bowler) Malcolm Marshall was playing for Natal and in 1994 and we played against them in a day-night final. I remember Malcolm was bowling from one end and this young tearaway with red hair was bowling from the other. From then your position in Proteas cricket would ignite," said Donald.
"Of course, the Pollock name is huge in South Africa. It meant that even as a young man, you had so much pressure on your shoulders to succeed. You had to finish the mission and follow in the footsteps of Graeme and your father Peter with the whole country watching intently. You did that and more and I know that they and the rest of your family will be so stoked that you are being added to this list of cricket's greats."
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