Pollock's Batting

[Ernest]

Well you can have all the stats you want, but a simple fact is, Pollock is on the way down, and Flintoff is on the way up.

You dont need cricinfo or Pwc to tell us that.

I dont know about batting, but I think Flintoff has been 13 bowling, and the way he has bowled this series should be higher, he at times as held the team together.
Flintoff is an all-rounder, and that is what the ratings have reflected.

As an all-rounder Flintoff has it over Pollock, and his best years are ahead.facts not stats.

[John]

Thats right Ern Flintoff has all to do. He can start with Aussies. That will go a long way to proving his worth. And will be the first to acknowledge it.

[Rahul_Dravid_is_No.1]

yeah because pollock is older.....
and how do we know flitnoff is on the way up? he could have hit his peak and might not improve, or he might get injured for a long time, which could easily happen with him at the moment

[Ernest]

Well he is injured, and he is still going to play in the 5th Test,(see ceefax).

Anyone can get injured, but I am saying everything being equall.

This series Flintoff has taken 17 wickets for about 27
This series Pollock has taken 18 wickets for about 26, and Pollock is supposed to be the specialist bowler.
I might be a decimal point or 2 out, but as little as makes no differencs.
kallis has took 5 wickets I think.

Flintoffs bowling average is just over 19 for this series , not that good.
Pollocks batting average is arround 17 for this series, even poorer.
Kallis wins it here by a mile..

This series Flintoff just edges it, but take in mind he is injured, and the catches dropped of his bowling.

To be fair to Pollock I have always said on this board, that Flintoff is a bowling all-rounder, and this series just backs that up.

But this thread is not about Freddie, it is named "Pollocks Batting", not set the world on fire has he?.

PS You are right john, but to be honest I don't think any of Australias bowlers will bother him, if he has some form and fit.

[John]

Ern its often been said Pollock played with injury.
Why has Pollock batting failed ? All I can say he has played over 90 tests it might be father time catching up. I really think for someone who has played that many Tests and one day internationals its not particularly surprising that part of his game fails.

[Ernest]

Well John, this is a good point, and I bet Pollock has played more cricket in the 2nd half of his career, I had this on another thread.

Players are overworked I will agree, and Flintoff will never play as long as Pollock has, and Pollock will have his career shortened by all the cricket played today.

I will tell you somthing about Flintoff, I dont know how much you know about England one day cricket, forget this series Flintoff is a good bat, (see the wicketkeeping thread, and what he di with G O Jones.).
Anyway last year Flintoff was injured, not just a strain he was injured with an ankle spur or somthing like that.

The point of all this is that England one day batting was so crap last year, Flintoff had to come and bat for them on one leg, and he did the job.
So john, Flintoff more than most know what playing with injury means.

[Zainub]

Freddie might need surgery for his ankle Ernie

Pollock plays a lot of cricket for SA, I think there was one instance, probably in the series against NZ, in the one-days, where his participation in one of the games was in doubt because of an injury, and I remember reading the headline in my newspaper that day: Pollock set to miss first ODI in 4 years. And I was like...gee, he's played 4 years without missing a game and Shoaib can barely go 2 tests without complaining...and turns out that game was rained off and rescheduled for a day after, so he didn't in the end, miss it, and I'm not sure, but perhaps he still is on a streak of playing most consecutive games for SA...don't recall him ever being dropped....and then I also recall reading in a bbc report some time last year that he was the busiest bowler in international cricket (in terms of number of overs bowled in a 12 months period)

[John]

I think it says a lot about the state of SA cricket that Pollock still has to spearhead the bowling attack. The best thing i think Pollock could do is retire from Test cricket and prolong his career in the one day game.
He has done all he can in the Test arena. It is time for others to come to the fore.

[Zainub]

That would leave the test side with a bit of hole don't you think? How old is Pollock by the way? May be there is a case for him to wait at least untill one of the likes of Nel, Langveld (sorry for wrong sp) or Steyn to spot a permenant place in the side.

[Rahul_Dravid_is_No.1]

im pretty optimistic about saffers new young blood and i believe they have good replacments for the paul scholes of cricket.

as you said Zainub, nel, steyn and langerveldt (sorry cant spell it either) i believe have potential to become very good replacements