Sherlock was appointed captain of the Cork senior team for the 2002 season. On 5 May, he captained the team to a 2-15 to 2-14 defeat by Kilkenny in the National League final. At the end of the season he was nominated for an All-Star. On 29 November, Sherlock and the other 29 members of the Cork senior hurling panel announced that they were withdrawing their services from the county in the hope of better treatment from the county board. Sherlock had a low-key profile during the strike which was ultimately resolved in the players’ favour on 13 December.