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Pat Pocock had three Test careers. Firstly, he was chosen as a promising
youngster in the late 1960s, then discarded. He returned briefly in the
mid 1970s, then made an unexpected come back after an eight-year lay
off to partner Phil Edmonds in a successful spin partnership in India in
1984-85. The North Wales born off-spinner was one of the promising
youngsters sent to Pakistan with Mike Brearley's MCC under-25 team in
1966-67.
He was sent to West Indies a year later as understudy to Fred
Titmus, but found himself catapulted into the Test side when Titmus lost
his toes in a boating accident. In the last Test of that series Tony
Lock was flown in to join him and Pocock helped the veteran left-arm
spinner add 109 for the ninth wicket, Pocock defending grimly and did
not get off the mark for 82 minutes. He took 6-79 in the first Test
against Australia in 1968, but was replaced by Ray Illingworth. He
played one Test in Pakistan in 1968-69, but Illingworth's accession to
the England captaincy kept him out until the Indian tour of 1972-73.
Pocock took eight wickets in the Madras test when England won by four
wickets and in Pakistan he took 5-169 in a Hyderabad Test when only 26
wickets fell. The wicket was so flat Pocock scored 33 at number 11.
"Percy" Pocock took 5-110 in Trinidad in 1973-74, but after that tour
played only two Tests against West Indies in 1976 before his surprise
reappearance against them in 1984, when he took 4-121 at Old Trafford.
He also played against Sri Lanka before being sent to India under David
Gower, his best figures being 4-93 in Delhi. (Bob Harragan)
Pocock is probably best known for taking seven wickets in eleven balls for Surrey against Sussex in 1972. He captained Surrey in his final season in 1986, having made his debut for them in 1964. He finished with 1,607 first-class wickets at 26.53, with a best innings bowling figures of 9 for 57.
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