Props to Jacques Kallis

[Tazwegian]

I think Australias junior batsman could learn a lot from studying the way Kallis bats.

Oh God no. I think I would have to quit watching test cricket with a team full of Kallises.

 

[alfy!]

Oh God no. I think I would have to quit watching test cricket with a team full of Kallises.

Oh dear. Ladies and gentlemen, the T20 generation

 

[Butts_JZZ30]

Oh God no. I think I would have to quit watching test cricket with a team full of Kallises.

The ACB needs to do a clockwork Orange style therapy session with Phil Hughes. Lock him in a room, wire open his eyeslids and make him watch 72 straight hours of Kallis batting. He might possibly then go on to fix his flaws and make consistant scores.

Nothing wrong with watching quality

 

[Tazwegian]

Oh dear. Ladies and gentlemen, the T20 generation

Kallis would be considered a bore to watch in any generation. I am definitely more of a test fan, but that doesn't mean I like to watch unattractive players.

 

[glenferry23]

unattractive? IMO kallis is a supreme test batsmen with a classic technique. love watching him bat

 

[Hellgood]

Pretty harsh calling him an unattractive batsman. First day of the test he was belting the Sri Lankans everywhere. Some of his innings he gets bogged down, but when he is on song he scores at a good rate and just is so commanding at the crease.

 

[Kong]

Just a handy 224 and 3/30 MOM performance.

Rubbish all-rounder.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Just a handy 224 and 3/30 MOM performance.

Rubbish all-rounder.

.....and a lazy 6 catches.

 

[Kong]

Yeah but they were selfish catches.

 

[Minotaur]

true, but that just puts him alongside sangakarra, dravid, strauss, hussain, graeme smith, gangully, jayawardene, samareweera, kirsten, trescotchick, bell, gibbs, inzamam, gooch, yousuf/mohamma youhana, younis khan, sarwan, craig mcmillan, atherton, rudolph the reindeer who have struggeld against australia.... murali, donald, harmison, pollock, cairns, hoggard, akhtar, swann amongst others have also struggled with the ball.

all solid to good to excellent test crickets who struggled against australia.

Precisely and that is the company he keeps. That is what distinguishes him to Lara and tendulkar who excelled against the Aussies or gavaskar who excelled against the windies in the 80s.

 

[frankrizzo]

Easy way to judge how valuable he is, think about a year or so from now when he's gone south africa really look a different and poorly balanced side.

They will miss him even more than india will miss tendy.

 

[Black Diamond]

I'd say he is in the top 5 players of my lifetime, and the second best all rounder ever.

He probably lacks recognition here because like most South Africans since they rejoined, his stats v Australia are down on his career stats.

 

[Tassieboy]

I'm a bit of a Kallis fan but gee he's done some ridiculous things. Most notably the 2007 WC game against Australia where chasing Australia 377 he came out blocking. Yes he scored 48 from 63 but still SA lost all momentum as soon as he came to the crease. "Kallis came in with the score reading 160 after 21 - a run rate of 7.62 - and then managed just 48 off 63 balls over the next 22 overs, a period in which South Africa's scoring rate plummeted to 5.32. Of the 146 dot balls Australia bowled, 32 were to Kallis (22%), which increased the pressure on the other batsmen and ultimately resulted in a rash of wickets."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/wc2007/content/story/287137.html

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Sobers record is oustanding, no doubt. Saw the end of him

For me though the best all-rounder, Botham easily.

The only bloke I've seen that could win a Test match by bat or ball at any time.

He carried England, sure he got some cheapies during the Packer years, got fat and smoked dope, but he was golden balls as Willis called him.

Warrior cricketer.

 

[iDon]

Just a handy 224 and 3/30 MOM performance.

Rubbish all-rounder.

Glad he finally took a multi game wicket. First in 4 years. Pity he got the number 9 and 11 spuds out, hardly not worthy.

Tremendous first innings and is a world class batsman no doubt.

 

[Spook]

And why else he is a legend

 

[Spook]

Kallis would be considered a bore to watch in any generation. I am definitely more of a test fan, but that doesn't mean I like to watch unattractive players.

Im not having a crack mate but im interested in how old you are?

Its just that maybe the newer generation who have seen more one day and 20 20 cricket than test and 1st class cricket have different ideas of technique and what is good or boring to watch.

Im not saying right or wrong ... just different.

 

[rideclutch]

IMO he doesn't need to take 5fer's or multi-wicket matches, that's what Steyn, 5lander and Morkel are for. Anyone who watched this test would see he bowled very sharp, aggressive spells and got break throughs when they were needed.

No questions about his bowling AFAIC, and indeed one of the modern greats of the game.

 

[Santana]

Sobers record is oustanding, no doubt. Saw the end of him

For me though the best all-rounder, Botham easily.

The only bloke I've seen that could win a Test match by bat or ball at any time.

He carried England, sure he got some cheapies during the Packer years, got fat and smoked dope, but he was golden balls as Willis called him.

Warrior cricketer.

Umm no, he's not even the best in his era.

 

[jko'neal]

His allrounder greatness aside, I think he is as good as any batsman I have seen. Awesome technique, huge amount of power, great balance you never see him falling to the off side when playing through the mid wicket area like a lot of players other top players do.And I'm certain it was said at some point he averages around 65 batting at no.4 from 150 innings.

 

[iDon]

His allrounder greatness aside, I think he is as good as any batsman I have seen. Awesome technique, huge amount of power, great balance you never see him falling to the off side when playing through the mid wicket area like a lot of players other top players do.And I'm certain it was said at some point he averages around 65 batting at no.4 from 150 innings.

Absolutely one of the greatest batsman of the modern era. Not many stack up against him with such an impressive record.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Umm no, he's not even the best in his era.

Dunno how you can say that.

Maybe you didn't see him.

He got a knighthood for something or other.

 

[Butts_JZZ30]

rideclutch totally agree. Even at his current age and not bowling as much, he still is more than capable of popping up with 2/3 wickets (see latest test) to supplement an already excellent bowling attack. He still remains a threat to face, certainly cant afford to switch off at all when he has ball in hand. He doesn't offer the respite that some 'all rounders' do. At the very least you dont take 270 wickets at 32 if you arent a genuinely good bowler.

I think some people get carried away with some bowling all rounders, they might remember innings where they plundered an aggresive 50 or 100 and helped change a game (Flintoff style) but few of them have a consistent batting record or great average. Kallis averages a phenomenal 57 and has made 41 test centuries! Where does he bat at 3 or 4? not exactly an easy gig. He has also now scored a test 100 against every playing nation.

 

[Santana]

Dunno how you can say that.

Maybe you didn't see him.

He got a knighthood for something or other.

Are you serious? A knighthood? Who honestly cares?

I never said he wasn’t great but he’s not the best of all time. Like I said he wasn’t even the best in his own era. Khan was superior.

 

[glenferry23]

Absolutely one of the greatest batsman of the modern era. Not many stack up against him with such an impressive record.

A magnificent batsman and one of the best of this generation no doubt. But in terms of his record, the only negative is how did he fare against the best opponent of his time - Australia. This is where his numbers do come back a fair bit, as compared to Lara or to a greater extent tendulkar (who averages just on 60 against Australia if I'm not mistaken). Just a side note.

And agreed with spook's earlier comments that perhaps it is younger cricket fans who do find him 'boringly' or 'unattractive', in comparison to other batsmen going around in the different forms of cricket these days. To me, kallis has a pure test match technique, and there aren't too many of these classical batsmen around anymore such as kallis, Dravid etc