Statistically, Vic Pollard may not have had a sensational career for New Zealand but he was among those who were vital in building the temperament of the Kiwi outfit that was steadily climbing up the ladder in international cricket. By design, Pollard was an off spinning all-rounder with bowling being his better suit although the numbers never really indicated that. His finger spin wasn't threatening, yet was effective and useful while his batting was all about aggression and thrilling strokeplay. Being a prodigy since his teens meant that a national call-up happened in his maiden first-class season itself and it came on a challenging tour to India in 1965. He had a lukewarm series, getting a few starts with the bat without going on to notch a big one while not really running riot with the ball despite having a few helpful surfaces. Nevertheless, the lad showed promise and the selectors decided to stick with him.

The management's faith in Pollard was justified in the same year as Pollard's first ever trip to England saw him topping the batting averages with four fifties from six innings. It was a much-needed breakout series for him as he had followed up the India tour with another unimpressive visit to Pakistan. Of course, those were alien conditions that were tough for even experienced men and it wasn't surprising that a rookie had found it tough. Hence, the selectors persisted with him and it paid dividends. Since then, he
became a key member of the side with his fighting mentality being his biggest strength. It was infectious and along with a few other teammates, propelled New Zealand cricket forward. Pollard is one of those rare cricketers who managed to sign off on a high, notching up both his career tons in his farewell series, incidentally in England again. His love for English conditions wasn't a surprise, given that he hailed from Lancashire.