Jacques Kallis

-->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.

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.

Rankings

Jacques Kallis' career performance graph.

Jacques Kallis' current positions in the ICC Rankings of international cricket are as follows:

Test Batting 2nd (points 877 - career best 1st - career high points 898). Test Bowling 22nd (points 583 - career best 4th - career high points 742). Test All-rounders 1st (career best 1st).

ODI Batting 27th (points 641 - career best 1st - career high points 817). ODI Bowling 69th (points 413 - career best 11th - career high points 641). ODI All-rounders n/a (only top 5 are ranked - career best 1st).

South African batsmen with a test batting average above 50
Graeme Pollock > Jacques Kallis | Dudley Nourse

Cricketers who have achieved the 'All-rounder's Double' (2000 runs/200 wickets) in Test matches

Richie Benaud 60 Tests | Ian Botham 42 Tests | Chris Cairns 58 Tests | Kapil Dev 50 Tests | Sir Richard Hadlee 54 Tests Jacques Kallis 102 Tests | Imran Khan 50 Tests | Shaun Pollock 56 Tests | Sir Garfield Sobers 80 Tests Chaminda Vaas 82 Tests | Daniel Vettori 69 Tests | Shane Warne 100 Tests | Wasim Akram 78 Tests | Anil Kumble 110 Tests

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