T20 World Cup 2021 Final: Shaun Pollock believes it ‘will be fairytale for New Zealand to win title’ against Australia

Shaun Pollock believes Kane Williamson's New Zealand (right) will go in as underdogs in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 final. (Photo: IANS)

Former South Africa captain and latest ICC ‘Hall of Fame’ inductee Shaun Pollock believes it will be a ‘fairytale’ for Kane Williamson’s New Zealand to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 title but Australia will go in as favourite in Sunday’s (November 14) final.

“It is a very tough one to predict but the final will be a spectacle to watch. New Zealand have tried so hard and it will be a fairytale for them to win the title. But Australia are starting to hit their straps and finding their top gear and it will be very hard to defeat them. Australia will definitely go in as the favourite into the final,” Pollock said during a virtual media conference arranged by ICC to celebrate his induction into the Hall of Fame.

New Zealand have been the losing finalists in the 2015 and 2019 50-over World Cup finals but won the inaugural World Test Championships, defeating India in the final, earlier this year. “In the past, in most ICC tournament – wherever they took place – people considered South Africa as their second favourites. It’s the same for New Zealand as well. It is just the way they go about their business, they are all wonderful and nice guys. The WTC final win will give them lot of self-confidence and they have a good balance of experience now,” Pollock added.

Leaders. Legends. .

Congratulations to Mahela Jayawardene & Shaun Pollock for being inducted into the @ICC Hall of Fame. #OneFamily #MumbaiIndians @MahelaJay @7polly7 pic.twitter.com/40QvZdkFn3 — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 13, 2021

The former SA all-rounder ended with 3,781 runs and 421 wickets in Tests and 3,519 runs and 393 wickets in ODIs over the course of his career. “There are so many memories of my international career but one of the fondest one was of my Test debut. There was always the fear if I would be able to emulate my father (Peter Pollock) or my uncle (Graeme Pollock) but I always enjoyed both individual and team success.

“If I talk about my individual performance, I think the Adelaide Test against Austalia in 1998 was my best bowling performance while as a captain winning the gold in the Commonwealth Games was also special. Apart from this winning Test series away from home in India and Pakistan was also great,” Pollock felt.

The SA paceman formed one of the best bowling combinations with the legendary Allan Donald and asked to speak about the same, he said, “I shared a very good partnership and friendship with Donald. He was the leader of the attack when I joined the national team it was very kind of him to praise me.”