One of the world’s finest all-rounders, Arguably the world’s finest all-rounder, Jacques Kallis is now one of the most dominant forces in world cricket. He is a near complete player, basing his game on the perfect execution of the basics before using his knowledge and skill to win game after game for South Africa.
A stoic defender with the bat, Kallis has been accused of being too slow to score his runs, but his immaculate technique has enabled him to amass 22 test centuries at an outstanding mid fifties average. His cover drive is a joy to watch and after a poor start to his test career he has made the upper middle order his own, and has enjoyed spells of county cricket with Middlesex and Glamorgan.
Kallis’s bowling has often taken a backseat, and a drop in pace has demonstrated that his workload has had an affect on him. Despite not being the bowler he was, he is one of the best batsmen in the world in his own right, and still proves to be a more than handy bowling option in Tests and ODIs.
Kallis is a quiet and unassuming character, who lets his consistently outstanding all round performances do the talking for him. Solid and dependable, South African cricket has relied on his performances for years, and the side continues to be built around him