GOODBYE POLLY!

Amidst all the hullabaloo Down Under, there was one news which almost went unnoticed. One which probably deserved a little bit of more column space and airtime than that of Harbhajan being booed again in Brisbane and eggs being hurled at Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in Hobart.

A certain Shaun Maclean Pollock bid adieu to international cricket at the majestic Bull Ring in Johannesburg. And, he did it in style by hitting the winning runs in the 5th ODI vs the West Indies at the Wanderers. "Legend, Shaun Pollock", were the words inscribed on the trophy presented to the 34-year-old after the match.

"Pollock is an ideal cricketer who represents everything that is good about cricket - humility, graciousness, a true gentleman. He is revered around the country and even rivals Makhaya Ntini in Mdingi (Ntini's home village) for popularity," was how Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Norman Arendse summed up his tribute.

Polly, as he is known in the cricketing circles, was certainly a legend. A quite performer who ended up with an economy rate of just 2.39 in Tests and 393 wickets in ODIs. Making the batsmen dance to his tune by dishing out some accurate stuff wasn't the only art Pollock perfected in though.

After hitting over 3500 runs in both Tests and the one-dayers, he was one of the best all-rounders the game has ever produced. You will be missed, Polly.

In a season of farewell parties, there is another big one waiting in a few weeks' time from now. And, this one will be from Down Under.

Meanwhile, the latest ICC ODI rankings are out. Here's how your favourite team stands:

Rank-Team-Points

1. Australia (130)
2. South Africa (127)
3. New Zealand (112)
4. India (110)
5. Pakistan (109)
6. Sri Lanka (108)
7. England (107)
8. West Indies (96)
9. Bangladesh (47)
10. Ireland (28)
11. Zimbabwe (18)
12. Kenya (0)

(As of 4th February, 2008)