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Friday, January 7, 2011

Jacques Kallis



Jacques Henry Kallis (born 16 October 1975 in Pinelands, Cape Town, South Africa) is a South African cricketer. As an all-rounder he is a formidable right-handed batsman and fast-medium swingbowler. He is one of the greatest cricketers of all time, being the only cricketer in the history of the game to hold more than 10,000 runs and 250 wickets in both one day and Test match cricket.[1][2] From October-December 2007 he produced a streak of five centuries in four Test Matches; with his century in the second innings of the third test against India in January 2011, his 40th in all, he moved past Ricky Ponting to become the second highest scorer of Test centuries, behind only Sachin Tendulkar who currently has 51 centuries. He was named Leading Cricketer in the World in the 2008 Wisden for his performances in 2007 in addition to being the "ICC Test Player of the Year" and ICC Player of the Year in 2005.[3] He has been described by Kevin Pietersen and Daryll Cullinan as the greatest cricketer to play the game[4]

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Early career

Kallis attended and played cricket for Wynberg Boys' High School.[5] In 2009, Wynberg honoured Kallis by naming their main cricket oval after him. [6] As a teenager, Kallis had a brief spell with Netherfield CC in England where he established himself in Northern England but he was released. Kallis also played for Old Edwardians for a spell as a teenager, where coaching staff saw potential for him to become a first-class all rounder; later in his first season he was picked for South Africa U-21's as a 12th man. He 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.[7]

1998-2002

Between 1998-2002, Jacques Kallis was one of the world's leading all-rounders, as seen in the ICC's Cricket ratings[1]. In 1998 he led South Africa to the ICC Champions Trophy title with two Man of the Match and the Player of the Series performances. The youngster was solid, without being spectacular, in the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup, before a Player of the Series performance led South Africa to a stunning Test series victory against India in India in 2000. By late 2001 he was the world's number one ranked Test All-Rounder, having held the same ranking in ODIs for the best part of 3 years. During this time, "Kallis blossomed into arguably the world's leading batsman, with a defensive technique second-to-none, and the adhesive qualities of a Cape Point limpet. Generally a placid and undemonstrative man, he nailed down the crucial No. 3 position in the South African batting order after a number of players had been tried and discarded, and his stock rose exponentially from that moment."[8]

 2003-2007

Kallis is one of only four players in Test history (after Sir Donald Bradman and before Mohammad Yousuf, Gautam Gambhir) to make a century in five consecutive matches, achieved in season 2003/04. 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.[9] In 2007 Kallis scored 5 centuries in 4 Tests, making him just the fourth man after Bradman, Ken Barrington and Matthew Hayden to score 4 centuries in 4 Tests on two different occasions. That Kallis holds these records belies his reputation as a defensive batsman of the old-fashioned type, something Kallis himself is determined to erase.[10] Regardless of style, Kallis has a remarkable batting average in the mid-50s, and is rated as one of the best batsmen in the world. Although still a very capable bowler with over 200 Test wickets, he impressed mostly with the bat between 2005-7. As a result, Kallis evolved into more of a batting all-rounder, a role in which he continued because of the emergence of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Paul Harris. Kallis is the only man to score over 10,000 runs and to take over 250 wickets in Test cricket. Sir Garfield Sobers managed over 8,000 runs and 200 wickets by comparison, at very similar averages.
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 that year.[7]
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. Kallis currently holds a number of South African cricket records, including most ODI and Test runs, highest ODI and second highest Test batting average and most Test centuries by a South African.[11]
In the 2007 World Cup Kallis was South Africa's leading run scorer with 485 runs at 80.83. He was, however, criticized in the press for some slow performances which cost South Africa momentum at key stages in the tournament. In August 2007 he was omitted from the 15 man South Africa squad for 2007 ICC World Twenty20, and consequently quit as the Proteas' vice captain. He was restored to the team for the Test series against Pakistan, where he smashed three centuries in four innings and was awarded Man of the Match twice and Player of the Series to underscore his importance to the South African cause.

 The senior All-rounder (2008-present)

In 2008 more responsibility was placed on Kallis as an all-rounder due to the retirement of Shaun Pollock. Despite the pressure an all-rounder began to emerge in Wayne Parnell who did some good lower-order batting. Kallis endured an uncharacteristically poor 2008 with the bat, averaging well under thirty for much of it. Against the ninth-ranked Bangladesh, he averaged just 25.75 in four Test outings. He also played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, where he averaged 16.85 runs per innings with the bat and 55.5 runs per wicket with the ball at an economy rate of 9.65 [2] in the 7 matches he played before he was dropped.

 Home and away series against Australia (2008–09)

South Africa toured Australia for a three-match Test series and five-match ODI series starting in December 2008. The tourists had a successful 9–2 Test win-loss ratio in 2008; however, Australia had just come off a 2–0 away series defeat against India, and had a 5–3 ratio for the calendar year.[12][13] Prior to the series, Kallis had a batting average of 38.32 in 18 Tests against the number one ranked team, substantially lower than his overall average of 55.06. In spark of an average of 124.50 in 12 Tests against lowly ranked Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, former Australia fast-bowler Rodney Hogg labeled the all-rounder "a flat-track bully, who dishes it out to the minnows like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe but goes missing against the Australians."[14] In the First Test starting on 17 December, Kallis scored 63 in South Africa's first innings, before he was dismissed by Mitchell Johnson, in the midst of a bowling spell consisting of 5/2 in 20 balls.[15] After failing to make a breakthrough in Australia's first innings, Kallis took 3/24 in their second, while completing four catches in the match. He then scored 57, while being involved in a 124 run partnership with AB de Villiers, as South Africa chased down 414, the second-highest fourth-innings run-chase in Test history.[16][17][18] In the second Test in Melbourne starting on Boxing Day, Kallis struggled to be potent in Australia's first innings, taking 1/55. While making a start in his teams first dig, he managed only 26, before taking 2/57 when the home-side batted again. Chasing just 183, Kallis was not required to bat, as South Africa completed their first Test series victory in Australia.[19][20] In Australia's 103 run Third Test victory in Sydney, Kallis struggled, taking 1/54 and 0/13 with the ball, while scoring 37 and four with the bat.[21]
The win was South Africa's 11th in a year in which they drew with India in India, defeated England in England, Australia in Australia and also recorded series wins over West Indies and Bangladesh. Kallis featured in all of those matches and remains an integral part of the champion side's set-up.[22]

Injuries but continued greatness & records

Kallis then participated on the tour of the West Indies in which he scored his 35th test cricket century. Kallis injured his neck during the 2010 Champions League Twenty20 playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore he missed the Twenty20 and ODI series against Zimbabwe but returned for the ODI series against Pakistan in which he scored 66 before having to retire hurt with cramps. He did however manage to lay the foundations for an eight-wicket victory. [23] In the same ODI Jacques Kallis scored his 129th ODI six. The most by a South African in the format. He overtook the record from Herschelle Gibbs. Kallis however did pickup an injury and was a doubtful starter for the second ODI. [24] In December 2010, On the 3rd day of the first test against India Kallis scored his maiden double century finishing on 201* (not out).

 Scholarship Foundation

The Jacques Kallis Scholarship Foundation was established in Kallis' benefit year with the aim of combining the academic and life skills programmes of existing school structures with funding and mentoring support from Jacques Kallis. In so doing, the Foundation with its partners, hopes to provide talented youngsters from all walks of life the opportunity to reach their full sporting and academic potential [3].
Currently, the Jacques Kallis Scholarship Foundation sponsors 2 boys from Pretoria Boys High School, 2 from Maritzburg College and 2 from Selborne College. Jacques Kallis partakes in annual f

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