00:00In this Classic Cricket Rewind, we take you back to the sun-drenched city of Shekhopora
00:05in October 1997.
00:07A young South African all-rounder, Sean Pollock, showcased not just his bowling pedigree but
00:13also his remarkable skill with the pad.
00:16In the second tough match against Pakistan, Sean Pollock played an innings of quite authority
00:21and resilience.
00:23When Pakistani spinners tightening the nose, Sean Pollock remained unfazed.
00:27He carved out a brilliant 82 runs of 129 balls, spanning nearly three hours at the crease.
00:34His innings included six crisp boundaries and a towering six, a perfect blend of elegance
00:39and grit.
00:40Let's revisit that memorable knock and witness the calm, class and character of Sean Pollock
00:45at Shekhopora.
00:57Oh, that's a fine shot.
01:02Musztak dropping just a little bit short and Pollock straight into that one.
01:06It was a beautiful stroke.
01:08Four runs.
01:09That's when we're being tied down by the spinners.
01:11Now it is the chance of Pollock who comes down the wicket and plays quite beautifully.
01:16A lovely straight six over the head of the bowler.
01:20That was a really good shot from Sean Pollock.
01:22Sean Pollock and Klusner with a flurry before lunch that has seen 131 runs scored in the two-hour
01:30session from 31 overs.
01:32And we've had little from Wazim.
01:35It's been the spinners that have done the work today.
01:38Musztak has picked up four wickets for 87.
01:42Sir Klain has been expensive, one for 95.
01:45And Rizvi had 16 or so runs taken from one over of his.
01:51So no wicket for 46 for the debutante.
01:55So South Africa then will be pleased with their performance despite losing four wickets.
01:59They've carried their first inning score to 285 for six at lunch.
02:11It's a nice stroke by Pollock.
02:13Timing it well and it's gone all the way for four.
02:25Well, that was short.
02:26It was a splendid stroke there by Pollock.
02:30Four runs all the way.
02:35But this match is always likely to run out of touch for six.
02:43More runs there.
02:44It's going to be four.
02:47Musztak bowling just a little bit short.
02:49It's such a slow pitch.
02:50You don't have to be that short for the batsman to be able to do exactly what he wants.
02:55Four and make sure that they can get on top of the South African spinners when their turn comes.
03:01And I'm sure it won't be long before Cronje does bring both Simcox and Adams into spinning action.
03:08But it has been a most entertaining innings this.
03:12We've had five men passing the 50.
03:15Kirsten, Bakker, Cronje, Pollock and Kluzner.
03:20And it really has been an extremely exciting innings.
03:26Sean Pollock's knock was more than just a number.
03:29It was a statement.
03:30He confidently tackled the spin duo of Musztak Ahmed and Ali Hussein Rizvi.
03:35Using nimble footwork, soft hands and calculated aggression.
03:39He was known primarily for his world-class seam bowling.
03:43Sean Pollock was also a technically sound and reliable lawyer-order passman,
03:48often bailing South Africa out of trouble.
03:50In his test career, he played 108 matches, scoring 3,781 runs at an average of 32.31,
03:59which included two centuries and 16 half centuries.
04:02A testament to his all-round brilliance, on the 1997 tour of Pakistan,
04:07Sean Pollock not only made significant contributions with the ball,
04:11but also played key innings like this one.
04:14Reinforcing his value as one of South Africa's finest cricketers.
04:19Sean Pollock's innings at Shekhupura was a shining example of his all-round excellence.
04:24Calm under pressure, technically assured, and always playing for the team.
04:28While he was widely celebrated for his precision with the ball,
04:32knocks like this proved he was equally dependable with the bat.
04:36His ability to read the game, adapt to condition,
04:39and contribute in both departments made him one of the most complete cricketers of his generation.
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