Jacques Kallis

[Twodogs]

Jacques Kallis has announced his retirement from test and first class cricket.

Where does he stand in the list of great cricketers? He must be pretty close to the top of the tree:

165 tests
13164 runs @ 55.12
44 centuries
High score 228

292 wickets @ 32.43

Bloody good figures!

[Eastdog]

Re: Jacques Kallis

Yes agree TD. One of the best batsmen in the game.

[jeemak]

Re: Jacques Kallis

They don't come much better.

[GVGjr]

Re: Jacques Kallis

For a few years I challenged the notion that he was a genuine all-rounder but I think he now must rate in the top 3. Sensational career.

[Twodogs]

Re: Jacques Kallis

For a few years I challenged the notion that he was a genuine all-rounder but I think he now must rate in the top 3. Sensational career.

Nearly 300 wickets is a fair effort.


Jacgues is a bit like Steve Waugh with 240 more test wickets.

[Bornadog]

Re: Jacques Kallis

is he the greatest all rounder of all time?

[1eyedog]

Re: Jacques Kallis

is he the greatest all rounder of all time?

Easily. He is a legend and has the perfect temperament for the game.

[divvydan]

Re: Jacques Kallis

Wouldn't say easily, if at all. Sobers has always been considered the greatest all-rounder and Kallis is certainly up there with him and Imran Khan, however, if you ask the people who watched them all play, they'd probably all say Sobers.

[Sedat]

Re: Jacques Kallis

is he the greatest all rounder of all time?

Comfortably 2nd best ever but Sobers has him covered. Sobers also bowled wrist spin as well as fast-medium so he had even more tricks to his bow.

[SlimPickens]

Re: Jacques Kallis

Outstanding cricketer.

Adds further intrigue to our series over there in a month or so.

[1eyedog]

Re: Jacques Kallis

Wouldn't say easily, if at all. Sobers has always been considered the greatest all-rounder and Kallis is certainly up there with him and Imran Khan, however, if you ask the people who watched them all play, they'd probably all say Sobers.

He played in a weaker era of cricket.

[hujsh]

Re: Jacques Kallis

He played in a weaker era of cricket.

He played for 20 years. My knowledge of that time is not great but was test cricket notoriously weak from 1954-1974?

Wouldn't averaging 57 in tests have been harder back then too? Less roads for pitches and no scientific bats for example.

[westdog54]

Re: Jacques Kallis

Comfortably 2nd best ever but Sobers has him covered. Sobers also bowled wrist spin as well as fast-medium so he had even more tricks to his bow.

I think the difference is that there are so few genuine all rounders left at the highest level at the game that when you've got one who can bat and bowl at the level of Kallis, they deserve the attention.

Fantastic career.

[1eyedog]

Re: Jacques Kallis

He played for 20 years. My knowledge of that time is not great but was test cricket notoriously weak from 1954-1974?

Wouldn't averaging 57 in tests have been harder back then too? Less roads for pitches and no scientific bats for example.

Kallis is going to play for 19 years so what does that mean?

Sobers is a great but other than Trueman and Snow (who only played 50 odd tests) and Richie Benaud I struggle to find quality bowling through his core years (late 50s through to late 60s). Kallis played against real quality (Akram, Waqar, McGrath, Warne, Ambrose, Aktar) as did Lara and Tendulkar which is what really makes these players great as well.

I'm not one for bat technology really, bats have always been around the same width and in Sobers' time many of the grounds were much smaller than today.

It's horses for courses and I realise 90% of people would disagree and Divydan is right he is not easily better than Sobers but I would prefer him. It's hard to go against Sobers but I think Kallis will go down as achieving more so he is my preference.

[Bornadog]

Re: Jacques Kallis

He played for 20 years. My knowledge of that time is not great but was test cricket notoriously weak from 1954-1974?

Wouldn't averaging 57 in tests have been harder back then too? Less roads for pitches and no scientific bats for example.

You really can't say that it's very hard to compare eras on weakness or strength of the test teams of the time. The fact is Sobers has the record on the board as does Kaliis.