South African cricket legend Graeme Pollock is in hospital after suffering a stroke, it was reported on Sunday.
Having recently celebrated his 80th birthday in February, Pollock suffered a stroke 11 days ago and has been hospitalised since.
Pollock has in the last few years been diagnosed with cancer an Parkinson’s Disease.
Former Transvaal teammate Spook Hanley spoke to Rapport newspaper about Pollock’s condition.
‘He is stable’
“He moves his arms and understands everything you say. Although he is stable, I can’t see him getting out [of the hospital] in the near future,” Hanley said.
Don Bradman described Pollock during his playing days as: “Perhaps the finest left-hand batsman the game has ever produced.”
Pollock played 23 Test matches for South Africa before its isolation from international cricket due to the Apartheid regime.
In that time, Pollock scored seven centuries and 11 50s. His phenomenal Test batting average of 60.97 ranks as the fourth best-ever, with number two and three on the list having played fewer matches than Pollock.
Pollock turned 26 during his final Test series, against a touring Australia in February and March 1970. In the first of the three-match series, Pollock scored 274 in the first Test in Durban. That knock stood as the highest in SA Test cricket for 29 years until Gary Kirsten made 275 in 1999 against England, also in Durban.
After South Africa were banned from international sport, Pollock continued to play first class cricket.
After making his first class debut at the age of 16 in 1960, Pollock finally hung up his gloves in 1987 at the age of 43. His long first class career saw Pollock amass 20940 runs, at an impressive average of 54.67, with 64 centuries and 99 50s.