Zee Media Bureau/Suyash Srivastava
Johannesburg: Cricket has seen some very fine all-rounders. While many believe Sir Garry Sobers to be there right at the top, South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis is also reckoned to be one of the finest all-rounders ever.
There were others like Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Shane Watson, Richard Hadlee, Keith Miller and Mike Proctor, but Kallis is someone who stands apart from the rest.
Sobers scored 8032 runs from 93 Tests at an incredible average of 57. 78. The Windies all-rounder broke several records during his phenomenal career, where he picked 235 wickets, and was also considered to be one of the finest fielders of his era.
On the other hand, Kallis has represented South Africa in 165 Tests, where he has amassed 13,174 runs and has picked 292 wickets. He was reckoned to be a wall for South Africa and he has taken a record 199 catches in Tests.
He is a South African legend and Graeme Smith once lauded him by saying, “Kallis is to us what Tendulkar is to India.”
Jacques Kallis’ retirement has shocked the cricket fraternity, as despite the rough patch, the all-rounder looked fit to play in all formats of the game. The 38-year-old had a forgettable first Test against India where he managed to score just 34 runs from two innings.
Now that he has announced his decision to retire after the second Test, the question arises - whether Kallis is the second greatest all-rounder after Garry Sobers?
