When you have more than 800 international wickets and close to 8000 runs then more often than not, you will be regarded as one of the greats of the game. There is no doubt that Shaun Pollock is one of those but when you ask him to name the best fast bowlers of cricket across generation, like a true gentleman, he prefers to bypass his name while heaping praise on others.
In a podcast with former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding and England’s Stuart Broad, former South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock discussed the greatest fast bowlers in different generations.
While Holding was pretty definite in his answer, naming four best fast bowlers who according to him were the best to play the game, Pollock decided to dissect it by generation.
In the podcast for Sky Sports, only one Indian pacer made it to their discussion and that was former India pacer Javagal Srinath. Pollock termed him as someone who didn’t get the due credit he deserved.
“I thought India’s Javagal Srinath didn’t get the credit he deserved,” said Pollock while talking about bowlers from his generation.
Srinath, who has 315 ODI wickets – Only second to Anil Kumble (334) among all Indians – and 236 wickets in Tests, is regarded as one of India’s finest fast bowlers but his name rarely crops up when discussing the best during his generation.
Apart from Srinath, Pollock named Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Glenn McGrath, and Brett Lee as the best bowlers of his generation.
“In my era, you had great combinations like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis for Pakistan and Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh for West Indies.
“Australia had Glenn McGrath and Bett Lee. You now have James Anderson and Stuart Broad in this era.