Pollock ponders county move

5 February 2008

Shaun Pollock bids farewell to the supporters in his last game for South Africa © Getty Images

Retired South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock looks set to continue his career in county cricket after receiving "a host of offers" from English sides.

Pollock played his last international match for the Proteas on Sunday as they completed a 5-0 whitewash in the one-day series against West Indies.

The 34-year-old is set to decide on his future plans soon after weighing up his options. He said he had "no immediate plans, although there have been a lot of county offers".

Pollock was happy to exit the international arena on his terms, hitting the winning runs in the last two one-day internationals in Durban and Johannesburg.

"I think everyone else was too scared to get booed if they went in to bat," Pollock said.

"If you had said to me that I would score the winning runs in Durban and at the Wanderers in my last two games, I would have not believed you. It was amazing."

Pollock added he was surprised at the emotional farewell he received.

"It has definitely surprised me,” he said. “I thought it would be nice and I would get a bit of a send-off, but every time I've gone down to the boundary I've had standing ovations for my last ball. It's been fantastic.

"I've never got so many claps for just picking up a normal ball on the boundary before.

"Feeling so blessed is what has so emotionally drained me. I'm going to need to take a week off.

“I haven't been sleeping well the past few weeks. I've been waking up at three, and tossing and turning, so I'm going to need a week to relax.

"I've got peace about the decision. I always wanted to go out on a high.

"I've spoken to my dad and he retired early, and I never wanted to linger longer. I wanted to go out when it was the right time to do so. The way it's gone has been just perfect."