/ 24 January 2008

Smith: ‘I hope Pollock goes out on a high’

Veteran bowler Shaun Pollock, who announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this month, will be playing his 300th one-day international (ODI) when he takes the field in the second MTN ODI against the West Indies at Newlands on Friday night.

Pollock will be the first South African to reach this milestone. It will be his 291st ODI for South Africa. The other nine were in the Afro-Asia Series and the Rest of the World against Australia.

Proteas captain Graeme Smith said he hopes Pollock does really well in his remaining matches for South Africa and goes out on a high.

”It’s been quite difficult, because everyone is trying to arrange things for Polly, and he’s trying to keep things very low-key,” said Smith. ”We’re really grateful for the way people have been celebrating him and his career. He really deserves that.

”I’d love him to really perform well in his last few games, and I’d like to keep the side issues away from him so that he can go out there and really perform in the way he’s played throughout his career. I’d love to see him go out on a high.”

Pollock ended his Twenty20 career on a high last Friday, when he was named man of the match after steering South Africa to victory with a quick-fire 36 runs. — Sapa