Jacques Kallis Profile by CricketArchive

---

Player:

JH Kallis

---

DateLine: 20th February 2007

 

His outstanding record with bat and ball marks Jacques Kallis as the leading all rounder in the game with all the dynamic qualities displayed by Andrew Flintoff. Kallis is more solid, more dependable and more determined in his approach if less spectacular. But as the only player to score 8000 runs and take 200 wickets in both Tests and ODIs Kallis is on a pinnacle by himself. In fact he is only the second cricketer to achieve this feat in Tests the only other being the incomparable Gary Sobers. He is the only South African to score a century and take five wickets in a Test innings twice. To complete the picture kallis is a peerless fielder at slips making difficult catches look easy. He had a slow start to his international career but over the last decade he has run up an awesome all round record thanks to ruthless efficiency, percentage cricket and a hunger for success that is unmatched. With all this he can make the transition comfortably to the slam bang game and has a strike rate of over 70 in ODIs. This is the hallmark of the truly great player that Kallis is – confirmed by the ICC’s Test and overall Player of the Year awards in 2005. In the 2003-04 series against the West Indies Kallis got a hundred in each of the four Tests. As a bowler his medium paced swingers and cutters come off the pitch with the kind of venom that has brought him two four wicket and two five wicket hauls in ODIs and six for 54 and nine for 92 as his best innings and match figures in Tests. Physically and mentally strong Kallis is one of the hardest batsmen to dismiss in the game today.At the 2007 World Cup, Kallis was South Africa's highest run-scorer with 485, but drew further criticism for his sluggish approach at the crease. Failed in the semi-final against eventual winners Australia. Kallis was not included in the South African side for the Twenty20 World Championship at home in September. It was, however, no surprise to see him live up to his reputation after being recalled to the side for short tour of Pakistan towards the end of 2007. After back-to-back Man-of-the-match titles there really was only one contender for Man of the Series, and Kallis continued his excellent form with hundreds and wickets in series against New Zealand and West Indies at home. Kallis's continued run of prolific scores helped him displace Mohammad Yousuf from the second position in the rankings for Test batsmen, and Kallis also extended his lead in the rankings for Test allrounders, where he moved in first place ahead of Andrew Flintoff. Closing in on 10000 runs he will be the first South African to do so and will be a great achievement for a man who is considered as one of the greatest allrounders the world has ever seen.