South Africa Cricket Players
Jacques Kallis
ICC Test Player of the Year 2005
ICC Player of the Year 2005
Jacques Henry Kallis (born 16 October 1975 in Cape Town) is a South African cricketer. One of the best all-rounders in the modern game, he is a dogged right-handed batsman and muscular fast-medium bowler who can swing the ball both ways off a good line and length.
Kallis made his first-class debut in 1993/94 as an 18-year-old, playing for Western Province. His first Test appearance was in December 1995 against England at Durban, but he struggled with the bat in his first few matches. His breakthrough came in 1997 with 61 against Pakistan, but more notably two matches later when he salvaged a draw for South Africa with a fighting century against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In 2004 Kallis became only the second player in Test history (after Sir Donald Bradman) to make a century in five consecutive matches. In 2005 he set the record for the fastest half-century, as measured by balls faced, in Test cricket history, scoring 50 against Zimbabwe off only 24 balls. That Kallis holds this record belies his reputation as a defensive, unadventurous batsman of the old-fashioned type. Regardless of style, Kallis has a very impressive batting average of over 55, and is rated as one of the best batsmen in the world. Although still a very capable bowler with over 200 Test wickets, he has impressed mostly with the bat in recent years.
In 2005 Kallis was selected for the World XI team to play an Asian XI in a benefit match for those affected by the tsunami of 2004, along with countryman Shaun Pollock. In the same year he was awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC player of the year. The award was shared with Andrew Flintoff of England, his only serious competitor as the world's leading all-rounder, after the votes of the academy were tied. Kallis also won the ICC Test Player of the Year award.
Kallis was awarded the captaincy of South Africa for the third and final Test match against Australia in 2006 when Graeme Smith stood down with an injury. This was Kallis' 99th Test match. To that point in the season, Kallis had scored two Test centuries against Australia, both in losing efforts; taking his career tally to a South African record of 24 Test centuries. As one of the most enduring batsmen of his generation, Kallis' wicket has become arguably the most prized in Test cricket, with the exception of Australia captain Ricky Ponting. These two batsmen are currently seen to be in a race for the world record tally of Test runs, held by West Indian great Brian Lara.
- Full name : Jacques Henry Kallis
- Born : October 16, 1975, Pinelands, Cape Town, Cape Province
- Batting style : Right-hand bat
- Bowling style : Right-arm fast-medium
- Test debut : South Africa v England at Durban - Dec 14-18, 1995
- Last Test : South Africa v New Zealand at Johannesburg - May 5-9, 2006
- ODI debut : South Africa v England at Cape Town - Jan 9, 1996
- Last ODI : South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg - Mar 12, 2006
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