ICC Cricket Hall of Fame: Former South Africa pacer Allan Donald lavished praise on Shaun Pollock and said the bowler was the Glenn McGrath of the Proteas side.
Pollock along with Janette Brittin, Mahela Jayawardene were announced as the newest inductees into the prestigious ICC Cricket Hall of Fame on Saturday. Donald congratulated Pollock and penned an emotional note for the former South Africa bowler.
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame: Allan Donald lavishes praise on Shaun Pollock, labels him as South Africa’s Glenn McGrath
“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,” Donald wrote in an open letter, congratulating Pollock, as reported by ICC’s official website.
“The fact that you, Shaun, will join myself, Barry Richards, Jacques Kallis, Aubrey Faulkner and of course your uncle Graeme, 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,” he added.
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame: Allan Donald lavishes praise on Shaun Pollock, labels him as South Africa’s Glenn McGrath
Donald said Pollock adapted his game according to the situations and went on to compare him with Australia legendary bowler McGrath.
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“What I admire a lot about you is the way you were able to adapt your game. When you first came into the Proteas side, you were this fast bowler who could terrorise batters, but despite injuries later in your career, you always managed to be effective, even if you didn’t quite have the pace you once had, and that’s a remarkable quality,” said Donald.
“You were our Glenn McGrath, the sort of bowler who could lock down an end and let the rest of us run free at the other. I think that is why we complemented each other so well as an opening bowling partnership.
“We could throw you the ball and say ‘See you tonight’. You would pile up the dots at one end and then I would have licence to express myself. Where my style was to combine control with pace, you did so with swing, getting so close to the stumps that batters would have to play almost every ball. It took incredible stamina and concentration because you gave them nowhere to hide,” he added.
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame: Allan Donald lavishes praise on Shaun Pollock, labels him as South Africa’s Glenn McGrath
South Africa’s Shaun Pollock was one of the finest bowling all-rounders the game has ever seen and was the first player to achieve the 3,000 run and 300 wicket doubles in both Test and ODI cricket.
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“I want to thank you as a bowling partner, a friend and a Protea cricketer. Thank you for all the memories I got to share with you, the great times we had, and the battles. I think you brought the best out of me, and I hope I brought the best out of you,” Donald signed off.
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