In more than 12 years on the international stage, Shaun Pollock established himself as one of the finest cricketers the world has ever seen.
His ability and work rate were second to none, and in an era where South Africa has produced an abundance of all-rounders, Pollock topped the lot.
The 34-year-old former Proteas skipper has cricket in his blood.
He comes from a family which included two of the greatest ever players to emerge from the tip of Africa in father Peter and uncle Graeme.
His grandfather Andrew also played domestic cricket, while there are many cousins and other relatives who achieved a lot in the game which, all in all, goes a long way to explaining why Pollock took to cricket like a duck to water.
The bold redhead bows out with a phenomenal record, ensuring his place in the list of the world's greatest ever all-rounders.
In 108 Test matches, he took 421 wickets - eighth on the all-time list - at an average of 23.11, while his batting average of 32.31 is exceptional for a lower-order batsman.
He continued to excel in the ODI arena with a bowling average of 24.50 (393 wickets) and a batting mark of 26.45 from 303 matches.
He showed how handy can be with the bat by hammering a maiden ODI hundred - he made 130 - for Africa against Asia at the Afro-Asia Cup in June last year, which at the time was the highest score recorded by a player batting at number seven.
Pollock also had a staggering economy rate which sees him concede a miserly 3.67 runs per over.
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