Wisden overview
Enigmatic, difficult, stubborn, aloof, sublimely talented, superbly skilled, supremely strong-willed - Daryll Cullinan has been described as all of these. And all of it is as true as it is false. At 16, when he became the youngest South African to score a first-class century, Cullinan was stupidly labelled "the next Graeme Pollock" by the press. It took him years to emerge from the weight of that unreasonable expectation, and the process could well have robbed him of a more rounded personality. Although invariably caught in Shane Warne's headlights, Cullinan carved his niche as South Africa's first world-class attacking batsman of the post-isolation era. Whether cutting, driving or pulling, few can touch him as an entertainer. Recalled to the Test squad in 2002 to face Australia, Cullinan withdrew days later over a pay dispute. It could prove to be his last chance.Neil Manthorp

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