Kallis epitomises value of genuine all-rounder
Roar Pro By SamClench, 24 Jul 2012 SamClench is a Roar Pro
Is Kallis better than Tendulkar? AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
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How good is Jacques Kallis? The ageless South African all-rounder always seems to be in the background when the accolades are handed out.
That was the case again yesterday as Hashim Amla thrust himself into the spotlight against England. Amla’s unbeaten 311 was the highest individual score ever compiled by a South African, and the nation’s first triple century.
His majestic innings was quite rightly the centre of attention.
At the other end of the pitch, Kallis compiled a typically classy 182 not out. This was his 43rd Test century, leaving him second only to Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time list.
Tendulkar may be considered the second best batsman of all time, but Kallis cannot be far behind in any objective assessment. Kallis’ batting average is slightly higher than Tendulkar’s in both Test and one-day international cricket.
Of course, Kallis is also a top class bowler, having taken 276 Test wickets at a respectable average of 32. In my native New Zealand, that record would be good enough to write you into the history books as a genuine strike bowler.
There are remarkably few outstanding all-rounders in world cricket. Most stars of the game are either specialist batsmen or bowlers, and most decent all-rounders are clearly stronger in one discipline.
Guys like Andrew Flintoff and Daniel Vettori, proper all-rounders, have been fantastic players in their own right. But none of them come close to matching Kallis’ quality or consistency.
Here we have a player who could genuinely justify his selection in any squad as a specialist in either discipline.
The success of Kallis’ all-round record is virtually unprecedented, and elevates him to a higher place in the pecking order of cricketing greats than any other player of the modern era.
Given a choice between Kallis and a specialist star like Ponting, Tendulkar or McGrath, you would have to be plain nuts not to pick the South African.
He contributes more to his team than any specialist ever could. A bad day with the bat can be offset by a brilliant session with the ball, and vice versa.
Any team would benefit immeasurably from the sort of balance that Kallis brings to a lineup.
He may not be as dominating as Shane Warne or as majestic as Tendulkar, but his contribution to the cause is arguably even more valuable.
July 24th 2012 @ 1:36am
biltongbek said | July 24th 2012 @ 1:36am | Report comment
I have fought the cause for Jaques Kallis many a time on many sporting forums, unfortunately usually it is either an english dominated forum where Kallis will never get the popular vote.
The biggest excuse levelled against him for not being the greatest all rounder in the game, is that he is flashy, they can’t remember innings of substance, he bats to slow and is no longer effective when he bowls.
My opinion is simple, it doesn’t really matter whether he s seen as the best all rounder ever.
He is the best and most important cricketer in the history of South african cricket and we know how valuable player he has been for us.
Lately he has been recieving some accolades for his achievements.
I can compare many different type of stats here to justify my view, but I doubt it is necessary.
July 24th 2012 @ 1:38am
matthew said | July 24th 2012 @ 1:38am | Report comment
A monumental cricketer. Statistically the greatest all-round cricketer of all time. Numbers dont lie, he might not have as many mammoth 200′s as the likes of Ponting, Lara, Tendulkar but he’s got more consistency with the bat than the lot of them. A batsman with flawless technique and a relentless hunger for runs as opposed to those less consistent but more flamboyant strokeplayers. His bowling is often dismissed but to have an average like that in international cricket over the course of a lengthy career speaks volumes about his class as an all-rounder.
July 24th 2012 @ 1:56am
paddyeff2 said | July 24th 2012 @ 1:56am | Report comment
I agree with both the author and biltong. This is a guy who has a better batting average than the great Tendulkar himself, and a better bowling average than England’s white knight Flintoff, one of the better bowling all rounders in recent history. I cannot believe that he does not get more plaudits for his success.
I have always stayed up late watching the South African tests, mostly because of this guy. He has been there for the whole time I have been watching cricket (being a youngish person) and has never ceased to pile on runs or take wickets.
The press were saying that England was Kallis’ final frontier, as he had a rather meagre record there compared to every other country he has played in. 180 not and a cheeky two fa isn’t a bad start.
I never saw Sobers, Richards or Pollock, so it may not mean as much, but I think this guy is the best cricketer I’ve ever seen.
July 24th 2012 @ 2:15am
The Werewolf said | July 24th 2012 @ 2:15am | Report comment
‘seems to be in the background when the accolades are handed out’
If that is true than it is a shame. One of the best cricketers to ever put on pads. The fact he can take a wicket or two is just gravy.
July 24th 2012 @ 11:56am
tonysalerno said | July 24th 2012 @ 11:56am | Report comment
I agree with you Werewolf Kallis will go down as one of the Greatest South African cricketers. He is in a rich vain of form it must be said- He goes out of form from time to time and given his age people try and wield the axe. I watched his 182* yesterday and he has not lost anything i actually think it was one of his better centuries. Granted the scoring was following with Amla scoring 311* at the other end, it would have been easy for him to lose his head and throw his wicket away.
But his grit, class and technique will earn him immortality when he enters the Hall of Fame.
July 24th 2012 @ 5:06am
Lolly said | July 24th 2012 @ 5:06am | Report comment
I don’t think he’s underrated at all. Most of the commentators who have played the game at a decent level think he is the biz, who cares what partisan cricket fans think?
July 24th 2012 @ 7:54am
Disco said | July 24th 2012 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Usually tends to be Ponting worshippers that question Kallis’s credentials.
July 24th 2012 @ 1:28pm
Jimbo Jones said | July 24th 2012 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
I’ll admit to having a fair bit of Punter love, but Kallis is definitely one of the greats. He has been one of South Africa’s best for many years now!
July 24th 2012 @ 7:34am
Ziggy said | July 24th 2012 @ 7:34am | Report comment
Whever the likes of Ian Chappel and Mallet plump for Sobers they seem blissfully unaware of Kallis. Many also forget that for a long period of time Kallis vitually carried a side that was extremely brittle and prone to dramatic collapses. Often he performed as an opening batsman. Plus his bowling stats are that of a genuine strike bowler! Which Sobers never was. Plus he has faced one of the greatest bowling attacks of all time in his career – Warne and McGrath.Some of our batsmen’s stats would look very different if they had to face them in tests!
Often criticised for slow scoring yet he has also excelled in 50 over and 20/20 cricket. Beat that for performance.
Imagine the stamina and concentration. Having to bat , bowl and be a great slip fielder – literally no relaxation on any day when he could switch off. And he has done it all in a modest, quiet, self effacing manner.
To me the 3 greatest cricketers who have ever lived are the Don,Warne and Kallis.And if you looked for the complete package of skills the No 1 would have to be Kallis – and he is still out there.
July 24th 2012 @ 9:31am
Bayman said | July 24th 2012 @ 9:31am | Report comment
Ziggy,
With respect, one of the reasons why Chappell and Mallet rate Sobers so highly is a) he really was that good, b) they played against him and c) in Chappell’s case he played with him for three years in Adelaide and saw the man up close.
Kallis has been, and still is, a great player and one of South Africa’s best ever. No-one questions it and nobody has any doubt about it.
When South Australia played against South Africa in 1963/64 Sobers asked his skipper, Les Favell, if he could wear his Windies cap. When asked why he replied to the effect, “These fellows won’t play us and I want them to see what it looks like”. He made 155 and gave them a good long look.
Those of us who saw a lot of Sobers, as I did, will always rate him higher than Kallis. It’s just how it is. Sobers was a match winner, Kallis more of a match saver. There has always been a suspicion that Kallis tends to play a bit for himself – that slow scoring criticism again – but it’s an accusation which could never be made against Sobers.
As for Sobers not being a strike bowler I can only presume you never saw him bowl. When required he could be very quick indeed – as well as providing various spin options later in the innings.
Until Sobers came along no player had ever scored 1000 runs and taken 50 wickets in the same Australian domestic first class season. Sobers did it in two of his three seasons with South Australia (and without the luxury of having Tasmania in the programme).
On top of that, with due respect to Kallis’ fielding ability, he’s not in the same class as Sobers – as fielder or catcher.
Kallis is, though, an outstanding cricketer who deserves great respect and recognition. Kallis has been, and still is, what Shane Watson can only dream about but he’s no Garry Sobers. He is, however, in the top rank of allrounders, and batsmen, throughout cricket’s long history.
July 24th 2012 @ 10:45am
sheek said | July 24th 2012 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Bayman,
That’s a wonderful story of Sobers wearing the Windies cap while playing for South Australia against South Africa back in 1963/64.
While I was aware of Sobers’ time in Adelaide, I don’t recall ever hearing of that story previously. It’s one of those ‘primary sources’ stories you don’t read in the history books.
Also, for the younger generations, we should emphasize that the Windies & Saffies players all got along well whenever they played together in various World XIs in the late 60s & early 70s.
Sobers & Graeme Pollock vied for best batsman in the world during the 1960s, & they each held the other in ultimate esteem.
November 11th 2012 @ 5:03pm
Conrad said | November 11th 2012 @ 5:03pm | Report comment
There’s no debate, Kallis has proved that he is the best ever all rounder in the game by far, he has the ability to dictate the play with Bat, Ball and fieliding and tops the averages in all disciplines of the game, comparing with others like Sobers and Co Highlights this point even more, I’m sure even Sobers will Agree,
July 24th 2012 @ 9:11am
Rusty said | July 24th 2012 @ 9:11am | Report comment
The stats dont lie but I, like Biltongbek dont really care where or how Kallis is rated by the rest of the world (wow I must have contracted Tendulkerism). For me he has been the rock around which our team has been built, the bastion of strength that has seen us overcome many an adversity over the years. Our greatest cricketer yet
Perhaps when he has retired he will be affored the place in the pantheon he deserves
July 24th 2012 @ 9:52am
sheek said | July 24th 2012 @ 9:52am | Report comment
Rusty – not quite right.
Facts don’t lie, but stats can be twisted in as many different ways as a devious mind wishes them to be…..
July 25th 2012 @ 12:44pm
Bayman said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
As they say, Sheek, there’s lies, damn lies…and statistics!
July 25th 2012 @ 2:28pm
Rusty said | July 25th 2012 @ 2:28pm | Report comment
I would say in this case its pretty straight forward. There is no ‘slicing’ to suit argument only a series of very very impressive numbers
Matches 153 Innings 258 NO 40 Runs 12561 Top Score 224 Average 57.61 Balls 27477 SR 45.71 Hundreds 43 Fifties 55
Matches 153 Innings 254 Balls 19110 Runs 9017 Wickets 278 Best Inning 6/54 Best Match 9/92 Avg 32.43 Econ 2.83 SR 68.7 Fourfors 7 Fivefor 5
July 25th 2012 @ 6:38pm
Bayman said | July 25th 2012 @ 6:38pm | Report comment
Rusty,
To be fair, nobody doubts the numbers, it’s the context that raises questions. This is why some, like me, play down Kallis in comparison, say, to Sobers.
If, however, every player was judged purely on the numbers then Kallis rates very highly indeed. In any case he rates very highly just because of those numbers.
Sobers, for example, rates highly not just because of his great stats but the manner in which he created them. Sobers could take great bowlers apart whereas Kallis tends to accumulate. Mind you, he accumulates pretty darn well.
PS I’ll happily quote Kallis in any discussion about Tendulkar (who I rate extremely highly, by the way) not necessarily because I think he’s better but for the fun it brings. By the way, in that comparison, I’m not necessarily saying Kallis is less of a player than Tendulkar. As you say, follow the numbers and Jacques is in front (182no didn’t hurt). Numbers by themselves, however, are only part of the story.
In truth, if the Fairy Godmother turned up tomorrow and said, “You can play 52 Tests and average 99 or play 153 Tests and average 57 – with 43 hundreds” I’d probably take Kallis numbers over the Don. One, because it means I’d play more Tests and make more hundreds and two, I wouldn’t have to be a recluse for the rest of my life.
July 24th 2012 @ 9:49am
sheek said | July 24th 2012 @ 9:49am | Report comment
Crikey Ziggy,
A lot of generalisations there. Firstly, both Chappell & Mallett would be very aware of Kallis. To suggest otherwise is to show ignorance & disrespect to these guys. Secondly, Sobers WAS a very, very, very, very great cricketer. Do some study & research before you make such sweeping statements.
Kallis has been named in just about every all-time South African XI printed. He is also in every contemporary World XI (past 30 years). How is he overlooked or ignored?
Most people agree unreservedly that the two greatest all-rounders in history are Sobers & Kallis. Again, how is Kallis overlooked or ignored?
Just because people won’t agree with you that Kallis is immeasurably superior to Sobers? Sobers wasn’t some dozen-a-dime petty all-rounder, you know. There is barely a struck match between them, & preference largely comes down to generational factors & how you prefer your cricket to be played.
So Sobers didn’t face any quality bowling? Try Lindwall, Miller, Davidson, Benaud & McKenzie from Australia; or Trueman, Statham, Snow, Titmus, Laker & Lock from England; or Gupte, Prasanna, Bedi & Chandrasekhar from India; or the great Fazal Mahmood from Pakistan.
Go & google these guys on cricinfo or howstat or cricket archives. Learn something about them.
Statistically, Kallis has the better bowling figures. No argument there. But we all know about stats – how they can be twisted to suit a particular point of view. Beware using stats like a drunk uses a lamp-post – for support, not illumination. Besides, facts are stubborn, but stats are pliable, they can be twisted every which way.
Here’s something for you to chew over. Sobers was a bona fide member of the Windies bowling attack. Generally there was only 4 of them. Sobers bowled first change paceman after Hall & Griffith, then returned later as second spinner to Gibbs. Read up on these guys as well.
Sobers could bowl left-arm fast-medium, then switch to either slow left-arm orthodox (offies) or slow left-arm chinamen (leggies). He often bowled the most balls only after Gibbs, but was also the key batsman in the team. Often he was required to play the role of stock bowler, rather than strike bower. But he often had no choice in this matter, even when captain.
Contrast this with Kallis. Perhaps for half his career, he was the 5th bowler in a team containing 3 frontline pacemen & a lone spinner. Kallis could come on for a few spells here & there & pick up a wicket or two or three. Of course, his bowling stats are going to look better than Sobers’.
Rarely has Kallis been called upon to do the donkey work that Sobers was often required to do. You can choose to ignore these types of things, since they aren’t spelled out in the stats, but they are nevertheless relevant to the comparison of the two players.
Of batsmen, the great Donald Bradman said that when it came down to choosing between two great options, he would go for the attacker over the defender. His reasoning was that attacking batsmen won matches, while defending batsmen saved matches.
I choose Sobers over Kallis because he was an attacker, while Kallis is largely a defender. Sobers could turn a match with either a brilliant piece of aggressive & innovative batting, or 3 brilliant types of bowling, or brilliant fielding in a variety of positions.
Every team needs a defender. In my best Aussie XI of the past 40 years for example, you need A.Border the defender to contrast with G.Chappell & R.Ponting the attackers, & S.Waugh the semi-attacker/semi-defender.
But let me say this loudly – both Sobers & Kallis are truly greats of the game. But for me it is Sobers no.1 & Kallis no.2. No shame there for Kallis, none at all.
July 24th 2012 @ 10:49am
Bayman said | July 24th 2012 @ 10:49am | Report comment
Sheek,
I think that covers it………
July 24th 2012 @ 10:54am
sheek said | July 24th 2012 @ 10:54am | Report comment
Bayman,
We can only do our best to help educate those who come after us……….
July 24th 2012 @ 11:47am
Ian Whitchurch said | July 24th 2012 @ 11:47am | Report comment
Its a generational thing.
If you’re a certain age, you remember the great things about Sobers. If you’re a bit older than that, you remember Keith Miller.
Personally, I think it was Basil d’Oliviera that was the best of them all, but the South Africans sheek so willingly defends were perfectly content to see him banned from first-class cricket due to the place of his birth and the colour of his skin, and stayed silent when their government demanded he not play against them.
July 24th 2012 @ 6:03pm
pim said | July 24th 2012 @ 6:03pm | Report comment
Is that the best contribution you can make Ian. Must all South Afrcan sportsman be castigated & ignored for what happened to Basil?Quite pathetic to say the least
August 1st 2012 @ 7:57am
7andabit said | August 1st 2012 @ 7:57am | Report comment
So you are going to blame all South Africans young and old for that? SA is a country not even a hundred years old and we got a democratic elected government without a civil war. Do we go around blaming you for oppressing and slaughtering of the natives of Australia? Please keep politics out of sport. Every country had its bad patch. Difference is they had it in a time where there was no real media tv or radio.
As for Kallis he is the best all rounder in my time. Can’t really say anything about Sobers caused I never saw him play. Stats don’t really mean much unless you take the bowling attacks he faced in his time. Can anyone tell me the great bowlers he faced in his time? I know most of them were on his side.
July 24th 2012 @ 12:56pm
Jimmy said | July 24th 2012 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
You are not aware of this but I suspect ‘ziggy’is a SA rugby player of some note from the late 60′s early 70′s who was also an Olympic class hurdler. He also played state level cricket and football. I think it’s him because he was one of the very first contributors to the Roar as I recall reading the exchanges between him and Topo. So he is no johnny come lately.
I am happy to accept his opinion in a serious manner because he has been there and done that. Have you?
July 24th 2012 @ 1:17pm
sheek said | July 24th 2012 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Jimmy,
If Ziggy is who you say he is, then I’m sure he can speak for himself. And if he is older than I thought he was, I’ll happily apologise fro thinking he was some 25-30 year old who thought test cricket started in the early 1990s!!!
While I obviously respect anyone who has “been there & done that”, there were clearly inaccuracies in some of Ziggy’s comments. While “talking up” Kallis, he himself spoke inaccuracies. To say Sobers wasn’t a genuine strike bowler is plainly wrong.
But none of us are infallible.
Also, I’m not familiar with the article written by Ian Chappell that you allude to. I would have to read that article in context before responding appropriately.
July 24th 2012 @ 3:13pm
clipper said | July 24th 2012 @ 3:13pm | Report comment
Why does one of them have to be the best? They are from completely different generations with too many variances to conclusively say one way or the other. They were the best all rounders of their generation and two of the best cricketers of all time.
July 28th 2012 @ 11:10am
Phillip said | July 28th 2012 @ 11:10am | Report comment
Check the stats especially the strike rates of wickets taken – Kallis leads by 3 to 1!!!!!
So who is inaccurate and does not know the meaning of STRIKE bowler?
And it is amazing that he can still bowl as fast as 145kph.
So add the batting and the fact that he is by far the better bowler and the sum of the parts is that he is better than Sobers as an all rounder.
And you seem to easily discount the fact that for years Kallis carried the SA side – often the batting just crumbled around him and he alone stood firm. Compare that to the line up Sobers had to support him.
Plus you do not seem to know that the SA wickets are probably the hardest to bat on compared to all other major cricket playing nations.
I don’t know much about Ziggy but I know enough to see that he has valid arguments and not the same old reactions from people who probaly never even saw Sobers play.
Choose between the two to bat AND bowl for my life – no contest – Kallis every time.
July 24th 2012 @ 12:47pm
Jimmy said | July 24th 2012 @ 12:47pm | Report comment
Aware of Kallis – you do know that Chappell wrote a whole article on all rounders to show how good Sobers was and did not even mention Kallis?
July 24th 2012 @ 12:59pm
Jimmy said | July 24th 2012 @ 12:59pm | Report comment
Apologies – he wrote the article on ‘the pick of the modern greats” I don’t think he knows how to spell Kallis:-)
July 24th 2012 @ 1:37pm
sheek said | July 24th 2012 @ 1:37pm | Report comment
Okay Jimmy,
If I’ve located the appropriate article, then I can only say you are being hyper-hyper-hyper-hyper sensitive.
On 29 January, 2012, Chappelli wrote an article for ESPN & cricinfo titled, “Who’s the pick of the modern greats”?
The key phrase is the last sentence of the second paragraph, which explains the intent of Chappelli’s article – “But who is the best of this trio of superb strokemakers”?
Strokemakers! Even Kallis’ greatest fans wouldn’t describe Kallis as a strokemaker. Chappelli chooses one of 3 – Lara, Ponting or Tendulkar. Lara is his choice.
In context, the article is about the best strokemaker batsman of the modern game. He is neither discussing the best all-rounders, nor selecting a World XI. He is discussing strokemakers, nothing more, nothing less.
In the context of the article he has written, there was never any need for him to mention Kallis.
Context…..
July 24th 2012 @ 1:57pm
SamClench said | July 24th 2012 @ 1:57pm | Report comment
Hmmm. The article isn’t explicitly about stroke making. It is a debate over who has been the best batsman, full stop. Kallis could have been mentioned, but you can certainly make a persuasive argument that Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar have all been better specialist batsmen, if you so choose.
July 24th 2012 @ 10:56pm
Rowdy said | July 24th 2012 @ 10:56pm | Report comment
That goes for me too!
July 25th 2012 @ 2:33pm
Rusty said | July 25th 2012 @ 2:33pm | Report comment
Love this “Beware using stats like a drunk uses a lamp-post – for support, not illumination”
July 24th 2012 @ 12:27pm
Dan said | July 24th 2012 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Over 300 international catches isn’t to shabby either, what an exceptional cricketer
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July 24th 2012 @ 12:30pm
sheek said | July 24th 2012 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
Ian,
I think you’re being a bit mischievous.
But seriously, we will never know how much better Dolly might have been. He didn’t make his test debut for England until he was nearly 35 back in 1966. Most players, at least back then, were contemplating retirement at this age.
I think back to the series between South Africa & Australia back in 1957/58. It has occurred to me often that while the Saffie team of the mid-50s was quite useful, it was both one genuine batsman, & perhaps a bowler, or another all-rounder short.
In 1955 & 56/57, South Africa had played England in 10 tests, winning 4, losing 5 & drawing one. Excellent results against a very strong England back then. In 1957/58 they were thrashed 4-0 by Australia, but they were a better team than that.
They had an excellent bowling attack – Neil Adcock & Peter Heine opening the bowling, Trevor Goddard at first-change & the incomparable Hugh Tayfield as lone spinner.
Yet I’ve often wondered how much stronger South Africa would have been with with Basil D’Oliveira in their lineup in the 50s & 60s. In 1957/58, Dolly, at age 26 would have most likely been the team’s best batsman at no.4. And his useful medium-paced bowling would have come in handy as the 5th bowler.
But it was South Africa’s loss they ignored him because of the colour of his skin.
July 25th 2012 @ 8:12pm
Altus said | July 25th 2012 @ 8:12pm | Report comment
Brilliant Sheek
It is the one thing that people always forget about Dolly. He would have been in his prime in the fifties. What the world saw, was a player towards the end of his career.
True great.