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Journalism of Courage
Luckless Pollock hungry for success
Luckless South African Shaun Pollock will be hungry for success when he takes on Australia in the World Cup on Sunday, according to his captain.Famished might be more accurate. The 25-year-old Pollock, regarded as one of the best bowling all-rounders in the world, has taken just four wickets in seven games , at an average of over 50.
On Thursday, he bowled Zimbabwe tail-ender Dion Nash after almost 40 overs without a victim.
Pollock, who cuts the ball both ways at a brisk pace and who had a successful season in England with Warwickshire, was expected to be one of the men to fully exploit the conditions and the tournament8217;s white swinging ball.
Instead, he has passed the edge on countless occasions without making contact while his all-rounder team-mates, Lance Klusener and Jacques Kallis, have hogged the limelight, sharing six man-of-the-match awards between them.Yet Pollock8217;s economy rate reflects how well he has bowled. His 64 overs have gone for 202, at afraction over three runs an over.
quot;It8217;s nice to get a few high fives when you pick up a couple of wickets. I8217;m still doing a job for the side which is the main thing and I8217;ve worked on a few things in the nets, so hopefully my luck will improve during the rest of the tournament. I think it8217;s important to look at things like that positively 8230; it8217;s only a matter of time before it clicks.quot;
Relieved Cronje smiles at last
It was a bad sign for skippers Steve Waugh, Wasim Akram, Alistair Campbell, Stephen Fleming and Mohammad Azharuddin. On Thursday at Trent Bridge it happened at last 8212; Hansie Cronje smiled.
Australia, who face South Africa in their final Super Six second-round match at Headingley on Sunday as they try to sneak into the semi-finals, have been warned. Cronje 8212; a man with a wicked sense of humour but whose on-field demeanour usually wavers between the stern, the gloomy and the funereal 8212; had just seen his side cruise into the last four after putting on an ultra-professionaldisplay in crushing Zimbabwe by 74 runs.
quot;At last we8217;ve made the semi-finals. And are we hugely relieved! Especially after 1996,quot; Cronje said. The pressure on Sunday, Cronje said, would be firmly on Waugh8217;s shoulders.
quot;Australia are going to be under pressure and tense and our mood may give us the upper hand,quot; he said.
