South African-born Dewald Nel is content to admire Pollock from afar in the hotel being shared by all four World Cup squads who are based in St Kitts.
BASSETERRE: Scotland fast bowler Dewald Nel has posters of South Africa's Shaun Pollock on his bedroom wall at home in Glasgow.
On Tuesday, he hopes to play against Pollock when the teams clash in a Group A match at Warner Park.
Until then, South African-born Nel is content to admire Pollock from afar in the hotel being shared by all four World Cup squads who are based in St Kitts.
"I have spoken to him but only to say hello," Nel told reporters on Sunday.
"I've broken the ice. Maybe on Tuesday I'll slip in a few comments. Maybe I'll have a chat if Andrew Lawson, our assistant coach, who knows Shaun well, goes over to talk to him on Tuesday."
Nel was born in East London and raised in Klerksdorp. Now 26, his family left South Africa for Scotland when he was 17.
"I've dreamt of playing for South Africa in a World Cup but never playing against them in a World Cup," Nel said. "To get the chance to play against the guys you worshipped growing up is something special."
Pollock is at the top of Nel's list of worshipped players.
"I've tried to replicate his bowling action and some of the skills he has," said Nel, an amateur player who works as a distribution and development manager.
"But there are a lot of top players I've tried to take bits and pieces from for my own game and it will be nice to see how they operate live. You can watch them on television but you can only get the gist of it that way."
To say Nel was looking forward to playing against the country of his birth would be an understatement.
"I will go hell for leather, there will be no holding back at all," he said.
"My first five overs might be pure adrenaline and I'll probably have to think after that because I'll be lost. It's going to be so exciting. Just to get a game in the World Cup, I'm happy with that. For that game to be against the South Africans is just awesome," he said.
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