Kallis.......Lucky us

It is all well and good to agree that Jacques Kallis is a brilliant cricketer. It is, however, not until one breaks down his record and does some simple comparisons that his value is truly emphasised. A recent article on CricInfo highlighted such.

If you do a simple exercise and take a couple of the giants of the game and run their numbers alongside the phenomenal career that Jacques has racked up, you will be amazed. Kallis, with 12 260 runs at an average of 57, has comparable test batting statistics to the stupendous Sachin Tendulkar, who champions 15 409 at an average of 56. That in itself is quite remarkable due to the fact that Kallis has spent most of his time plying his trade with the willow in South Africa where conditions are generally considered to be the most challenging for batting due to the contrasting nature of the pitches. That particular aspect has been extremely evident this summer.

We all know that Kallis is not a one-dimensional cricketer. He may not have the endurance he exhibited in years gone by with the Kookaburra in his hand but he still plays a vital role. Again we can spotlight a comparison. Kallis's test bowling statistics of 274 wickets at 32 apiece stack up almost identically to those of Zaheer Khan's record of 283 wickets at 31 each, and he has been a colossus for India. In this example, obviously Zaheer is the one who has been short-changed over the years due to the generally unresponsive pitches at home that he is forced to endure.

Following that enlightening insight, I'll bet you are now getting a clearer indication of just how brilliant Kallis is and how fortunate South Africa have been to have this two-in-one match winner showcasing his talent in the test arena. It won't happen forever so now is the time to thoroughly enjoy what is and has been a magnificent career. Another statistic that confirms his stature in the game is that he is number five on the all-time test catching list.

Remarkably he was not always destined for stardom. I remember vigorously defending his ability when commentating for Fox Australia way back in the mid-nineties when his international foray commenced. In his first seven innings over five tests he scored only 57 runs at an average of 8.14. He had even managed a highest score of 39 during that time to inflate his average. Luckily, soon his fortunes were to change. His first 50 was notched up in his sixth test and he carved out his first century in his seventh. Kallis was off and running and was eventually showing his true class.

We have all been so fortunate to have witnessed the sublime skills of this sensational allrounder. 150 test matches is a magnificent feat but to sign it off with a mercurial double century, three wickets when it mattered and five catches including two 'blinders', is mind boggling.

We were treated to a master class by a player who will go down in the annals of cricket as one of the finest to have ever graced the game. Lucky us.