from The Times of India October 18 2001
After watching the Indians train at the St Georges Park where they play Kenya in
their fourth match of the Super Spice Triangular One-day International cricket
tie here on Wednesday, one passed Grey School, the seat of learning of South
Africa's most revered cricketing family, the Pollocks.
The present captain, Shaun, went in the wake of his illustrious uncle Graeme and
father Peter, all time greats of South African cricket. The Pollocks later made
a new home in Natal, further down the Eastern Cape.
On a serene Sunday while the city folk were on the waterfront and emptying their
pockets in the flea market, some 40 local kids were committed to the game. Rajen
Moodley, a South African of Indian origin, was conducting the under -16 cricket
trials at the school grounds.
The search of another Pollock was on. They may find another Shaun but it will be
hard to find folks with such a strong moral fire like the Pollocks. Father
Peter's concept of life changed the day in 1970 when he survived a plane crash.
The intrepid England skipper, Ted Dexter was flying Pollock Sr and West Indies
skipper Deryck Murray to Fred Trueman's benefit game. The plane gave trouble,
but Dexter showed his dexterity in taking the plane through live wires and
landing it on its belly saving three lives so precious to the sporting world.
Peter Pollock had said a prayer and it had saved him. He's surrendered himself
to Jesus subsequently and is now also an evangelist. The son too has followed
suit. Indeed, the Grey School and community activities in Port Elizabeth have
had a profound influence on Shaun's cricketing career. Shaun's cricketing
abilities doesn't need to be documented. But he doesn't let divinity cloud his
thinking. When you lose its not God's fault but when your opponents play better.
He would no doubt have taken the Centurion defeat at the hands of India in this
spirit going by his statement, "God only helps you to get winning and
losing in the right perspective. The role of prayer is to help one to perform to
the best of one's ability". He reveres St John The Baptist who said,
"With God all things are possible".
There were some doubters when Shaun, a bowling all-rounder, was appointed
captain. Father Peter, a fast bowler and also a captain, says he cannot
understand why people say bowlers shouldn't be captains.
"I know of some great batsmen who were terrible captains", he says.
Victories over New Zealand (2-0 in Tests and 5-0 in ODIs) and Sri Lanka (2-0 and
5-1 last season) at home have given a kick-start to Shaun's captaincy after he
took over form Hansie Cronjé.
His father Peter, who has been a South African selector, says, "Leadership
is individual, not definable but highly recognizable." This will be on test
in the series against India.
When England are to play an Ashes series, every fan, every media man looks at an
international series as a build up to the Ashes battle. That has been a grave
mistake. The same thing is happening here as India play the home side before the
once "Invincible" Aussies come here early next year. One can only hope
Shaun Pollock doesn't fall in that trap. Divine help will be of no use if he
loses track of reality.
As for his playing ability, Shaun has been leading from the front with the ball.
He is on target in the opening overs and is back at the death with plenty of
deception. But it is the batsman in him has to surface more than before. His
fans are hoping Shaun can summon the qualities that made him slam the fastest
100 off 95 balls in the third Test against Sri Lanka at Centurion last season He
shares the record with Jonty Rhodes.
That feat was the result of a joint communiqué of the Pollock elders. At
Kingsmead in the first Test, Shaun had crossed the 200-wicket mark. Uncle and
father had been called at the special presentation on the ground. At a family
dinner that night the elders egged junior on to target next the elusive Test
hundred.
They advised that he had to summon his early career aggression in batting and
not fiddle around at the crease which he was doing then. He had to bat like Ian
Botham. Came the Centurion Test and Shaun, playing his 51st Test with a highest
of 92, slammed 14 fours and three sixes emulating Rhodes who had done the feat
at the same ground in 1998-99.
The Indians, if they are aware of all this, will be hoping that the real Shaun
Pollock doesn't surface till the Aussies are here.