Shaun Of The Cricket

He is a former Proteas cricket captain and holds several world records. In his heyday he was ranked the number one player in the world for his Test bowling and as an allrounder, and one-day international bowling and all-round player. This is Shaun Pollock. And this is his motoring story (with some cricket trivia as a bonus).

Shaun Pollock hails from a famous Scottish cricket lineage: his grandfather Peter was born in Edinburgh before immigrating to South Africa, eventually playing for the Orange Free State. His uncle Graeme is still considered one of the best batsmen to have ever played the game.

So cricket is certainly in Shaun Pollock’s blood and there was never any doubt he would follow in his grandfather and uncle’s footsteps.

Born and bred in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, the young Pollock honed his cricketing skills while studying for a bachelor of commerce degree at the University of KwaZulu Natal. He made his Proteas debut in 1995 and soon became an integral part of the national squad as a highly-skilled all-rounder.

When the Hansie Cronje scandal broke in 2000 and Cronje received a lifetime ban, Pollock was appointed the new captain, a position he held until a lacklustre team performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Pollock retired from international cricket in 2008 and nowadays the 46-year-old legend is a SuperSport commentator, still very much involved in the sport he loves.

We chatted to Pollock about the cars in his life. And some cricket too, of course.

What was your first car?