DURBAN: Watching South African great Graeme Pollock defend balls that were easily hittable while playing for South Africa in the World Cricket Legends In The Wild match at Phinda Game Reserve gave you the feeling that this guy still reads the game well.
With the double-wicket six-a-side 12-over contest already in the bag, the southpaw just needed to bat out the last over without getting out and costing his team 15 runs. That's just what he did as South Africa won the game.
While Pollock batted for just four overs and scored just 10, he did show a glimpse of his trademark cover drive with zero footwork.
Pollock was renowned to score heavily without paying too much attention to the rule book, technique and footwork.
"Footwork is over-rated," he says with quintessential dismissiveness. "Your main concern should be to get into a good position," he adds.
The 67-year-old narrated an incident about Hansie Cronje which explained in plenty his distaste for becoming a slave of technique. "I remember years ago the South African think tank wanted me to spend some time with the team and Hansie Cronje told me that he wanted the bowler to deliver and wanted to be back and across. I told him what stops him from starting there. Batting is all about getting into the right position and not worrying whether you are getting in line. You just got to be balanced and transfer your weight."
Pollock is a great fan of Virender Sehwag and he says the explosive batsman is a prime example of players without a great footwork but still immensely successful. "Sehwag is in a great position to play his shots. The whole essence of batting is being in a good position and taking advantage of the bad balls."
Pollock feels there are too many modern-day batsmen who allow bad balls to go unpunished. "Everybody plays to protect their wicket, which is of course very important. But you also have to score and put the pressure back on the bowler. People are not doing that enough. Just see how many bad balls don't get scored off in a session. We need both sorts of players in the team, one who can get a hundred in one session and the ones who can score a ton in three-four hours. But guys who do the former are the ones who help you win Tests as they help the bowlers get more time to take 20 wickets."
Talking about Sehwag, Pollock sympathized with his plight as he lives by the sword and often dies by it. "He is the best player in the world today and certainly the most dangerous. He has got a triple hundred in a day. He is incredible and has been largely responsible for turning Indian cricket around and set up Tests for bowlers to win. I don't know why he is always criticised. I think he has worked out a way for him, which is very effective and successful. If he tries to change it, he will get into trouble."
Pollock ridicules the fixation of coaches asking their young charges to put the bat behind the pad. "Why do we need to put the bat behind the pad? Why can't we just stand still like a baseball player and play your shots. It saves precious seconds for the batsman." Pollock feels more and more unorthodox players are making it big in international cricket these days.