21 August 2013
Cricketing great Jacques Kallis has repeated his intention to extend his one-day international career and be part of the South African team at the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australasia.
“Playing for my country has always been both a huge honour and a privilege,” Kallis said in a statement on Tuesday.
“It remains my aspiration to be available for the 2015 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup but, at the same time, I know as an all-rounder approaching my 38th birthday, I will need to assess my future in the game season by season.
‘Mentally and physically refreshed’
“At the moment, I am feeling mentally and physically refreshed and I am looking forward to carry on playing for my country as long as possible.”
Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO Haroon Lorgat commented: “Jacques is an extraordinary player who appreciates the ODI team building process that is currently under way. His availability is welcomed and CSA will do everything possible to help him achieve his personal ambitions while building a new generation ODI team.”
Proteas head coach Russell Domingo weighed in, saying: “We are scheduled to play 30 ODIs between now and the start of the World Cup and we cannot expect Jacques to play every match. If we were to do that we would limit his longevity and we don’t want that.
“The plan is to bring him back into the ODI squad for the home series against India in November.
‘Maturity’
“At the moment we have a youthful ODI batting line-up, and Jacques brings a maturity that will be invaluable in developing the new generation,” Domingo said.
Since January 2012, the Proteas – the number one team in test cricket – have been nothing more than average in the 50 overs a side format. They have played 31 matches, won 15, lost 14 and tied one.
In that time, Kallis has played only four matches, with the last of those being on 29 February 2012. They won all four of them.
2013 record
The Proteas’ record in 2013 has been poor: seven wins, 10 defeats and a tie. The key statistic in that time is this: Dale Steyn seven matches, Graeme Smith seven matches, Morne Morkel eight matches, and Jacques Kallis zero matches.
South Africa has played the majority of the team’s matches without four world-class players. Without them, it is unreasonable to expect the Proteas to challenge for the number one ranking in ODIs.
South Africa currently occupies fifth place in the International Cricket Council’s ODI rankings, which, given 2013’s poor run is a little surprising. However, the addition of the proven quality and experience of Kallis should help the team produce better results.
Career statistics
In 321 one-day internationals, he has tallied 11 498 runs at an excellent average of 45.26 runs. As a bowler, he has captured 270 wickets at 31.69, with an economy rate of 4.82 run per over. He has also taken 125 catches.
In terms of the sheer weight of numbers, his career as an all-rounder in ODI and test cricket is unmatched in the history of cricket.
SAinfo and Cricket South Africa
