from supercricket.co.za by Neil Manthorp February 01 2002
Shaun Pollock makes it look so easy. Whatever he does, the South Africa
skipper looks as though he's hardly breaking sweat, even when he belts four
successive sixes in an over at the end of a one-day international. But that
is far from the case. For the last three weeks Pollock has committed himself to
extra nets - 'overtime', if you like - in an effort to assume the role of Mr
Destruction fulfilled so brilliantly by Lance Klusener for the last four years.
On Wednesday afternoon, just two days before SA's crushing victory against New
Zealand that earned them a place in the VB triangular series finals, Pollock was
at it again.
A huge net, 30 meters high, was erected at least 70 meters away from South
Africa's practice area at the WACA nets. If there was one thing Pollock was
going to do before he left, it was hit a ball over the safety area.
To make matters worse, the majority of his teammates arrived at the practice
session in one of the team combis dressed in their golfing clothes ready for
departure to play one of the best and most famous courses in Australia, The
Vines Resort where Ernie Els once won the Heineken Classic.
Pollock, who loves his golf and plays off a four handicap, was not interested.
He had other things on his mind. Time and time again the ball flew from the
skipper's bat, far enough to be a six on 90 percent of the world's cricket
grounds, but he was not satisfied.
Then the 'perfect' strike brought the smile, much to the despair of the driver
of a white Corolla (who was not there to see the ball land on his bonnet).
Asked why he had skipped the chance to play The Vines, Pollock simply smiled the
smile of a man on a mission: "I've just had my long-driving competition -
and I won't hit a white ball better than that," he grinned.
Brilliant moments in sport last mere seconds, but they require hours and hours
of hard work.