Jacques Kallis, undoubtedly the greatest cricketer of my generation, atleast I think so. All the Sachins, Pontings and Laras may weight higher than him as a batsman, but as a cricketer, he tops them all. Sir Garfield Sobers is regarded as the greatest all rounder of all time by cricketing fraternity, but having seen Kallis play I can say that he wouldn't be far behind.
Over 10,000 runs in both tests and ODIs with over 250 wickets in both formats is no child's play. Add his immense ability as a fielder to that and you will get a perfect allrounder that every team dreams of! A saviour and a protecter with the bat in hand, a perfect fifth bowler's charm, and one of the safest in slip cordon. Jacques kallis was good for south Africa most of the times.
Though he had an excellent ODI career, his test career is the one that puts him in elite panel. 13289 runs at an average over 55, with 45 centuries! Third highest run getter of all time in test cricket. Second on the list of most number of test centuries. These are the figures that can make anyone jealous of him as a batsman.
He was the main pillar of south African batting line up for more than a decade. Always a player to watch out for opposition. A consistent performer. And a commander in chief whenever South africa achieved the greater heights. An ODI cricket world cup would probably be the only thing that Kallis will regret in his otherwise luminous career. Being an indian, I would always have Dravid or Sachin as my hero, but Kallis was as good as anyone else in the game. Thank you for your contribution to world cricket. Happy birthday king Kallis!
