Graeme Pollock — South Africa's Greatest Batter
Graeme Pollock's extraordinary Test career: 23 Tests, 2,256 runs at 60.97, the highest average of any batter with 20+ Tests, and what might have been but for apartheid-era isolation.
Frequently asked questions
What is Graeme Pollock's Test batting average?
Graeme Pollock scored 2,256 runs in 23 Tests at an average of 60.97. This is the second-highest Test batting average in history among players with 20 or more Test appearances, behind only Don Bradman's 99.94. His career was cut short by South Africa's ban from international cricket due to apartheid.
Why did Graeme Pollock play so few Tests?
Graeme Pollock played only 23 Tests because South Africa was banned from all international cricket in 1970 due to the apartheid system of racial segregation. Pollock was 26 at the time — at the absolute peak of his powers. The ban lasted until 1991, by which time he was 47 years old. The international cricket community lost one of its greatest players for more than two decades.
Who is the greatest South African batter of all time?
Graeme Pollock is widely considered South Africa's greatest batter based on his 60.97 Test average. Among players who played their careers after South Africa's readmission in 1991, Gary Kirsten (7,289 runs, 45.27) and more recently Hashim Amla (9,282 runs at 46.64) are the leading run-scorers. But Pollock's average speaks for itself — no other South African has come close.