gettingbetter
State Vice-Captain
As Steely Dan once said Rich: The time of our time has come and gone
I fear we been waiting too long. They know when the time is right.
I fear we been waiting too long. They know when the time is right.
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Will Shaun Pollock ever play test cricket again?
- Thread starter Days of Grace
- Start date
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Oh, but so many people don't. And TBH, it's impossible to. You can guess - sometimes you can have a decent guess - and I've lots of time for people who don't want to risk going on too long and tainting their legacy.
But in doing so, you risk lopping-off years where you could still perform well and further it. Most people tend to end-up doing the former crime rather than the latter, which is a shame, there's so many players I could name you who had a (mostly short, mercifully) comedown right at the end of their careers - and this is not cases like Botham, Dujon, etc. who carried-on long, long after they'd stopped performing.
Pollock and Vaas both appear keen to go when there might be something left in the tank, but when it also might be about to start running on empty.
But in doing so, you risk lopping-off years where you could still perform well and further it. Most people tend to end-up doing the former crime rather than the latter, which is a shame, there's so many players I could name you who had a (mostly short, mercifully) comedown right at the end of their careers - and this is not cases like Botham, Dujon, etc. who carried-on long, long after they'd stopped performing.
Pollock and Vaas both appear keen to go when there might be something left in the tank, but when it also might be about to start running on empty.
gettingbetter
State Vice-Captain
Are you talking internationally for Pollock? If so, I think he is probably fed up with being the fall guy, and with Nel and Morkel both seemingly ahead of him, it all leads to 'what's the point.' This involves the hectic schedule of a cricket and father.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
I'm actually not sure he was - he said at his retirement press-conference that he had originally hoped to announce it before the West Indies series (which suggests he'd been thinking of it for a while).
Maybe he'd decided after the Pakistan tour selection. I don't terribly blame him if he decided to give it up because he felt he was being messed around a bit, and\or because he wanted to settle down with the family, of course.
Maybe he'd decided after the Pakistan tour selection. I don't terribly blame him if he decided to give it up because he felt he was being messed around a bit, and\or because he wanted to settle down with the family, of course.
Jono
Virat Kohli (c)
If you enjoy your cricket, and still contribute to the side (i.e. still justifiably make their best XI), then no matter what some person who gets off over stats says, you haven't overstayed your welcome.
If you were a batsman who averaged 50+ for most of your career, then in the last 3 only averaged 42 and was more inconsistent, yet you:
a) still enjoyed playing the game
b) were still better than all the others competing for your spot, and hence weren't holding anyone back
then no one has any right saying they didn't retire at the right time. So what if your batting average fell 4-5 points over that time or something. The game, when the push comes to shove, is played for enjoyment.
If you were a batsman who averaged 50+ for most of your career, then in the last 3 only averaged 42 and was more inconsistent, yet you:
a) still enjoyed playing the game
b) were still better than all the others competing for your spot, and hence weren't holding anyone back
then no one has any right saying they didn't retire at the right time. So what if your batting average fell 4-5 points over that time or something. The game, when the push comes to shove, is played for enjoyment.
Perm
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
It's pretty damn obvious why Pollock chose this moment to announce his retirement from Test cricket. Not a great surprise that this was the first Test he's played in a little while, is it? After being overlooked in Pakistan and for the first two Tests against the West Indies, Pollock would surely have wanted to go out on his own terms.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
The thing not to look past, though, is that players often enough let their team down by not averaging 42 in their last, say, 10 Tests, but 27 or so. These people will usually be said to "still be contributing" or some such fiddle-faddle (rarely is a formerly oustanding player written-off as outright poor during a comedown) because they've played 2 or 3 good innings in that time.
It does disappoint me whenever I see this happen, but I'm always disappointed to see it do so because I never, ever expect a player who has been good for ages to suddenly stop being so.