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24/07/2008 07:01
I can't imagine it's been especially easy for Shaun Pollock to adjust to life as a Sky commentator on South Africa's cricket tour of England.
He is, of course, a recent convert to the microphone trade after his retirement - premature, to many people's minds - from internationals.
And it's difficult to believe that, however richly experienced and respected a player you may be, there's not a certain "commentary clique" that requires breaking into.
After all, egos simply cannot be in short supply when you've got the likes of Beefy Botham, David Lloyd, Mikey Holding and pretty recent England captains in Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton all competing for vocal space.
So Polly's very much the new boy on the block in natty dark suit and tie and I'm going to give him a 6.5 out of 10 for performance so far - encouraging, but obviously with room for improvement as he gathers confidence.
He doesn't have the ideal voice for broadcasting (that's pretty much the sole preserve of "Whispering Death's" Caribbean cool, isn't it?) but then neither, down the years, have the likes of whining Bob Willis or the rather one-toned Paul Allott, either.
Nor, of course, is he ever going to match Lloyd for gloriously spontaneous Lancastrian humour.
"Bumble" was on top form as the Headingley Test began, with former roof-tiler Darren "Who?" Pattinson making his startling, swing-bowling debut for England.
The cameras swung around to a nearby suburban roof that looked as if it needed a spot of "TLC", and Lloyd quickly chirped: "Hmm, England batting first ... my, my -- maybe our Darren can pop off and do some work on that one before his turn comes."
Hussain, turning to more orthodox, cricket-specific matters, suggested the fickle crowd at the home of Yorkshire cricket might turn against Nottinghamshire's Pattinson if he flopped, and that the name of one of their own pride and joy, the overlooked Matthew Hoggard, might just be chanted on the unruly Western Terrace.
But "Nass" was quickly silenced when David Gower, clearly gleeful to back up his thoughts with statistical research, piped up: "Well, I've got news for you. Hoggy at Headingley? Nine Test wickets at 43 ...?
So yes, Pollock has some illustrious characters to live up to, but there are also one or two key facts in his favour - foremost that he is the most recent ex-Test cricketer in the Sky booth, which automatically gives him an inside lane in up-to-the-minute expertise.
He is handsomely placed to assess the very Proteas cricketers he was sharing dressing-room pegs with until a few months ago and, indeed, made certain TV-screen observations about Makhaya Ntini's relative bowling struggle which he, by all accounts, later transferred to his former partner in destruction.
Makkie was an improved factor - delivering from wider of the crease and apparently gripping the ball differently -- in England's second innings as a direct result.
Let's not forget that Polly isn't even completely off the pro cricket scene: he turned out for Durham in a key Twenty20 match against Glamorgan on Tuesday - just a day after South Africa won at Headingley - and his 20 off 12 balls and then 3.4-0-15-2 played an influential role in guiding the county to "finals day" on Saturday.
Sharing Durham's attack with the likes of Steve Harmison means Pollock is even wonderfully qualified, in his Sky role, to discuss England's "who are the right men to find 20 wickets in a Test?" predicament - a strong lobby still backs a recall for Harmison's sheer, if erratic, pace.
Rob's awesome foursome:
1 - Australia v New Zealand, Tri-Nations rugby
Sydney, Saturday, 12:05, SuperSport 1
Now, who do South Africans want to win this one? My hunch is the Wallabies, even if it would mean two wins from two for them - remember that we play Oz twice on our turf so there is time yet to rein them in. But even coach Robbie Deans' inside info on the enemy camp won't be enough, I feel, to swing it their way. It's the All Blacks by about six points ...
2 - Sharks v Lions, Currie Cup rugby
Durban, Saturday, 17:05, SuperSport 1
The Sharks were awful in losing by four tries to nil against bogey side the Cheetahs last time out, so this is probably a good opportunity to wager that a backlash of note is on the cards. So it's the Lions to play second fiddle, even if they will throw the kitchen sink to try to prove me wrong.
3 - Tour de France, Stage 21, cycling
Etampes/Paris Champs-Elysees, Sunday, 13:15, SuperSport 2
Dish DStv guide incorrectly says you need to watch from 03:15. Relax, it's actually lunchtime! It's probably considered a spectacularly mouldy cliché in the world of spokes and pedals, but whenever I think "Champs-Elysees finish" to the Tour de France my mind always drifts sentimentally back to 1989 and that amazing slug-out between Greg Lemond and Laurent Fignon. Will we ever see another climax like it? I doubt it, but try anyway this Sunday.
4 - England v South Africa, third cricket Test
Edgbaston, Wednesday, 12:00, SuperSport 2
Post-isolation history tells us that the Proteas going 1-0 up in England spells bad news ... the Poms have a nasty habit of hitting back. So it's the perfect time to buck a bothersome trend, and I tip Graeme Smith's team to win in Birmingham and clinch the series - even if it may be much more ding-dong than Headingley.
Rob is Sport24's chief writer.
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