Shaun Pollock is retiring from international cricket after representing South Africa with distinction for 12 years

Here he is on Test debut, at Centurion, in November 1995, dismissing Graeme Hick. He took quickly to Test cricket

The following April, aged 22, he is signed by Warwickshire but his summer is cut short by an untimely ankle injury

He forms a close bond with late coach Bob Woolmer; a career highlight is the 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medal

In England's first Test with Duncan Fletcher as coach, Pollock and Allan Donald combine ruthlessly in a big victory

Following Hansie Cronje's demise amid a match-fixing probe, he is thrust into the captaincy in 2000 and starts solidly

But an eagerly-anticipated Test series in Australia in 2001-02 ends in a 3-0 drubbing and his tactical nous is questioned

A rare moment away from cricket for Pollock as he and his wife Trish, who he married in 2001, take in some tennis

Pollock bounces back as South Africa win a three-nations limited-overs tournament in Australia in early 2002

As World Cup hosts in 2003, South Africa are backed to go all the way, but defeat to Sri Lanka sees them knocked out early

Sacked as captain after the World Cup defeat, Pollock does skipper the World XI in a one-day series against Australia

He remains a major force, and is man of the series in the 5-0 one-day series thrashing of Pakistan in February 2007

But his third and final World Cup ends on a disappointing note again, Australia beating South Africa in the semi-final

A brilliant competitor, but also a gentleman, Pollock has been South African cricket's perfect role model

His 108th and final Test proves an emotional one. He ends up with 421 wickets, by some distance a South African record

And here he is preparing to bowl his final ball in all international cricket, in a one-dayer against West Indies in Johannesburg where he takes his 393rd wicket

Promoted up the batting order Pollock signs off in style, hitting the winning runs in an eight-wicket win

Pollock sheds a tear as he brings his stellar career to an end with one final TV interview at the Wanderers