Kallis, Pollock among SA’s all-time cricket greats

Cricket, as a sport, has a habit of indulging itself in its own legend. Players are elevated above mere mortal status to something divine, something Bradmanesque as it were, where their influence on the game goes way beyond the boundary ropes of their personal selves.

Sachin Tendulkar is the best example of a man who has created his own church through his style of batsmanship. Many denominations exist of course, with Lara’s followers being especially numerous in the mid-90s, but when you are talking about ultimate followings, the “Little Master” is your man. He has scored the most runs ever in Tests and ODIs, and leads the century count in both formats. He is also the most capped player of all time, again in both formats. This year, he continued to confound with the first double century in ODI cricket. Tendulkar achieved this at the age of 36. Old dog, new tricks.

South Africa is no stranger to such musings. One name especially stands out as the man who inspired those in South Africa as Tendulkar does today in India. Graeme Pollock is his name, a player recognised internationally as one of the best batsman to ever play the game. If you don’t believe me, even ESPN thinks so. He had the second highest Test average (of those who had scored more then 2 000 Test runs). He used to hold the record for the highest score by a South African and is part of the Pollock dynasty that has given so much to the South African cause over the years.

Today, South Africa has yet another cricketer who should be classed in Pollock’s elite company. Jacques Kallis has never felt the full affection of the South African public, for reasons ranging from being perceived as aloof at the crease to batting too slowly. Only now, as the twilight of his career approaches, are South Africans waking up to the fact of how good he really is, and how much of a hole he is going to leave in that Proteas’ side when he eventually hangs up his well-worn boots. Kallis made his debut when Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock were still figuring out how best to work together, Hansie Cronje was captain and Dave Richardson wicket keeper. He is a physical embodiment of South Africa’s cricket history after re-admission, just by the sheer fact that he has been there most of the time in person. He, along with Mark Boucher, is the last of that generation of cricketers in the 1990s who were tasked with forging South Africa’s image in the world game.

His statistics alone show how supernatural his batting is at times. Referred to by Steve Waugh as “technically brilliant”, it is that technique which survived the ultimate Test in Cape Town. He managed to score a hundred in both innings in difficult conditions with his second knock being hampered by injury. By doing so, he became the first South African to score a century in each innings in South Africa. It’s the second time he has done so in a match, and it’s boosted his career talley of Test hundreds to 40, the second most ever behind Tendulkar. He is the fifth highest run getter in Test history, just six runs behind Lara and 116 runs behind Rahul Dravid. That isn’t to mention his 270 wickets and 166 catches, along with his limited overs record, which is just as distinguished. He is also the only batsman over the last 12 years to average over 60, a phenomenal achievement.

Greatness is always difficult if not near impossible to see in the passing moment. In the present, we lack the foresight which allows us to put an individual’s achievements in context. Once put in context, however, and weighed against the deeds of his or her peers, only then is it plausible to label a player “a great”. Kallis’s achievements are so immense, and his way of playing the game so pure (technically speaking), that along with Tendulkar and Ponting, will be canonised as a saint of the game, a man who batted in a way that survived the Test of time.

The reason why Kallis and Tendulkar have been able to excel and still do is because their technique allows them to do so. Even when they struggled, as both have done at times in their distinguished careers, their technique has gotten them through. That’s why Ricky Ponting lost his epic career-long duel with Kallis, because the former Australian captain (he won’t be back for Sri Lanka in August) while technically competent, relied on his reflexes and hand-eye coordination to generate runs. Virender Sehwag is another example of that, and when his physical skills decline, watch his average drop. The fact that Tendulkar and Kallis were the leading run getters in the recent series underlines this fact.

Kallis is also arguably the best all-rounder to have ever played the game, with Garry Sobers the only person who can compete with him statistically. He is also one of the last true all-rounders, with only Shane Watson and Daniel Vettori falling into that class today. The modern circus that is international cricket has destroyed many a body, and apart from a nasty spell out due to tennis elbow, Kallis has been present. As such, his physical endurance should also be lauded.

Kallis has also disproved the old adage that he bats at too slow a pace. He recently scored his quickest Test century, and has upped his strike rate in the five-day format significantly. And being selfish? If it weren’t for his efforts in Cape Town, South Africa would have lost the series. Harbhajan Singh, known as a fiery character but not one to shy away from expressing himself, told the media before the final day in Cape Town that he hadn’t seen many bat like Kallis did that day. King Kallis, as he is known at Newlands, put on a batting masterclass, which will be seen as one of his better Test innings.

He further sealed his reputation by scoring his maiden double hundred at Centurion, an achievement which in some weird way finally ensures his transition from very good to great. When Kallis comes to the crease, South Africa breathes a sigh of relief. He has been the ultimate firefighter, assassin and strangler for the Proteas for 15 years, and he still has a couple more seasons left. But when he does eventually decide to go, the moment he walks off Newlands (it will be there) for that final time, that is when we will feel his absence, a feeling as powerful as sadness, happiness and fear. By George we are going to miss him. He has earned our affections hundreds of times over, and is finally getting the admiration he deserves.

Graeme Pollock and Kallis are the greatest cricketers SA has ever produced. It’s as simple as that.