Shaun Pollock was South Africa's Glenn McGrath, says Allan Donald

11/14/2021

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Former South Africa pacer Allan Donald heaped praise on Shaun Pollock, and has stated that his former bowling partner was the Glenn McGrath of the Proteas side. On Saturday, Shaun Pollock alongside Mahela Jayawardene, and Janette Brittin were inducted into the prestigious ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Shaun Pollock, who featured in 108 Tests, 303 ODIs and 12 T20Is for South Africa was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame on Saturday. The former Proteas captain was named alongside Mahela Jayawardene, and ex England skipper late Janette Brittin.

Meanwhile, in an open letter to ICC, Alland Donald has lavished praise on Shaun Pollock, and stated that his former bowling partner deserved the recognition.

“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, on 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.

Donald, who himself bagged 602 international wickets from 236 outings, added that he admired the adaptability of Shaun Pollock, and labelled his compatriot as the Glenn McGrath of South Africa.

“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.

“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."

Shaun Pollock was the first player to achieve a double of 3,000 runs and 300 wickets in both Test and ODI cricket.