 Pollock in 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Graeme Pollock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 27 February 1944 Durban, Natal Province, Union of South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Little Dog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Leg break | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 Test | 5 March 1970 v Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960/61–1977/78 | Eastern Province | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978/79–1986/87 | Transvaal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 4 November 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert Graeme Pollock (born 27 February 1944) is a former cricketer for South Africa, Transvaal and Eastern Province. A member of a famous cricketing family,[2][3] Pollock is widely regarded as one of South Africa's greatest ever cricketers,[4][5] and as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.[2][5][6] Despite Pollock's international career being cut short at the age of 26 by the sporting boycott of South Africa, and all but one of his 23 Test matches being against England and Australia, the leading cricket nations of the day,[5] he broke a number of records. His completed career Test match batting average (twenty innings minimum) of 60.97 remains the third best behind Sir Don Bradman and Adam Voges.[7]
Pollock has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including being voted in 1999 as South Africa's Cricketer of the 20th Century,[4] one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1966,[2] as well as being retrospectively selected in 2007 as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 1967 and 1969. In South Africa he was player of the year in 1961 and 1984, with special tributes in the S.A. Cricket annuals of 1977 and 1987. Bradman described Pollock, along with Sir Garfield Sobers, as the best left-handed batsman he had ever seen play cricket.[2]
In 2009, Pollock was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[8]
- ^ Includes 1 match for a South African XI v Australians, (4 March 1967).
- ^ a b c d "Player Profile: Graeme Pollock". CricInfo. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
- ^ "The real deal". CricInfo. 16 July 2003. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
- ^ a b Chesterfield, Trevor (3 January 2000). "Pollock named South Africa's Player of the Century". CricInfo. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
- ^ a b c Williamson, Martin. "Different era, same brilliance... Pt 2". CricInfo. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
- ^ Houwing, Robert. "An artist in the super league of left-handers". Retrieved 6 June 2010.
- ^ "Records | Test matches | Batting records | Highest career batting average | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ Cricinfo (2 January 2009). "ICC and FICA launch Cricket Hall of Fame". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2019.