Kallis retires from Tests

[harsh.ag]

Goodbye Jacques. Thank you. You were brilliant, in every respect. Wish you would stick around for a while more. Hope you win the WC next year and retire happily. Score a century in the final and take a 5-fer. Afterwards, host a barbeque show on TV once in a while

 

[SeamUp]

Not at 1.8 wickets a test i wouldn't.

If you haven't seen this guy when 35-38 years old bowling out-swingers at nearly 140 clicks and sometimes over 140 clicks over the last 3 years then I'm not sure what constitutes a guy who is able to bowl to constitute him as an all-rounder. At this age as a seamer/quick you're supposed to have packed up your boots. Many pure bowlers already would have done.

A thought is that in his career, Donald-Pollock , Pollock-Ntini , Steyn-Morkel-Philander have often seen to most of the wickets before he was even required.

 

[Cabinet96]

Imagine how high Kallis' WPM would be if he played for a toothless bowling attack and didn't play into his late 30's.

 

[SeamUp]

Not sure what to say really other than well played Jakes. You were pretty special. Got goosebumps from only that 34 the other day. Perfect elegant technician are apt word for your batting.

Pity your last test couldn't have been at your beloved Newlands.

I know its not the end for you but it feels like it. Pretty sure your all-rounder legacy will be continued one day. Too many kids would have watched you, wanting to emulate you, for it not to happen.

 

[Jarquis]

So my favourite English player and my favourite non-English player retiring within a week of one another really does suck balls.

Most MOTM awards in Tests, second most MOTS. 13000 runs @ more than 55, nigh on 300 wickets at 32s and 200 catches, yet people question his greatness.

The last year has been a lean one but it's not all that long ago that this was the case:

 

[Cabinet96]

Jacques Kallis once played a test series against Pakistan, where he had more runs, wickets and catches than the whole Pakistan team put together.


He is cricket, and that's why it's called Kallisball.

 

[theegyptian]

Imagine how high Kallis' WPM would be if he played for a toothless bowling attack and didn't play into his late 30's.

His batting almost certainly would have fell away with a greater workload. That is why SA did so well for him to make it as far into his career as 38. They realised his batting skill and their decent bowling resources and only utilised when required as a bowler. That doesn't demean his figures though or not make him an allrounder as guyfromlancs suggests.

You just had to admire his ability in this past test. Down a bowler and Kallis was able to stand up for his team and bowl decent overs at decent pace still at 38. That's testament to his preparation, ability and SA's shrewd use of him.

People talking about him retiring to maintain his average but ffs he 38 and an allrounder. Ponting retired at 37. It's amazing Kallis has kept performing as well as he has for so long.

Leaves a masive hole in the SA team. As a cricket fan it's a bad day but for every other test nation it will be a good day when they next turn up for a test match and there is no Kallis. He's irreplaceable.

 

[kyear2]

So my favourite English player and my favourite non-English player retiring within a week of one another really does suck balls.

Most MOTM awards in Tests, second most MOTS. 13000 runs @ more than 55, nigh on 300 wickets at 32s and 200 catches, yet people question his greatness.

The last year has been a lean one but it's not all that long ago that this was the case:

I acknowledge his greatness and contribution, but that wickets and average comparison with Zaheer is misleading and disingenuous without looking at WPM and S/R. Similar to the bowling comparison between Imran and Miller.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

Yeah, which is one of the several reasons why Sobers was better, but that's just a statistic in the end. 2 wickets a test at a good ER and average of just 32 is pretty damn good for a 5th bowler.

Sobers isn't what i'd call a true allrounder either. But his case is strange. I suspect if Sobers bowled seam all the time instead of fiddling with spin, he would have been off the scale.

But Kallis, great player. Wish he'd utilised all his shots more. But great player

 

[grecian]

I acknowledge his greatness and contribution, but that wickets and average comparison with Zaheer is misleading and disingenuous without looking at WPM and S/R. Similar to the bowling comparison between Imran and Miller.

Yeah, don't want to get into it too much, but like other batting all-rounders, he wouldn't be asked to do the hard graft on a thankless pitch when South Africa were struggling.

Still an utterly unique cricketer and his bowling always aided the Saffies.

Really fascinated what they do now, having Kallis in the side definitely meant, they were able to get away with playing their joke spinners, really believe they should think of playing four seamers now, with de Lange and Abbott in the mix.

 

[Jarquis]

It's neither misleading or disingenuous. It doesn't say he's as good as Zaheer or Sachin but he has achieved the same (or similar) in terms of quantity at least.
WPM may be a valid criticism but I don't buy into the SR argument.

Also somewhat annoying that people are quick to jump on the fact that if he bowled more his batting would suffer without recognising that the converse is as likely to be true and that his batting feats should be appreciated with this in mind.

 

[grecian]

It's neither misleading or disingenuous. It doesn't say he's as good as Zaheer or Sachin but he has achieved the same (or similar) in terms of quantity at least.
WPM may be a valid criticism but I don't buy into the SR argument.

Also somewhat annoying that people are quick to jump on the fact that if he bowled more his batting would suffer without recognising that the converse is as likely to be true and that his batting feats should be appreciated with this in mind.

Always an imponderable with all-rounders though, either way, plenty of them say the fact they have another skill relaxes them, and doesn't put much pressure on their batting and bowling.

Who knows?

 

[silentstriker]

Comparisons to the Pontings or Tendulkars aren't warranted but an excellent player nonetheless.

 

[silentstriker]

Imagine how high Kallis' WPM would be if he played for a toothless bowling attack and didn't play into his late 30's.

But then his average would be 35-40.

 

[Heboric]

Not sure what to say really other than well played Jakes. You were pretty special. Got goosebumps from only that 34 the other day. Perfect elegant technician are apt word for your batting.

Pity your last test couldn't have been at your beloved Newlands.

I know its not the end for you but it feels like it. Pretty sure your all-rounder legacy will be continued one day. Too many kids would have watched you, wanting to emulate you, for it not to happen.

Yeah

It makes the cancelling of the third test even worse now, sigh BCCI .

 

[popepouri]

But then his average would be 35-40.

Like Sobers then.

 

[fredfertang]

Stealing Swanneh's thunder, and kudos to him for doing so

 

[silentstriker]

Like Sobers then.

The average would be, just like his batting average is as high as many of the greatest batsmen. As a player? Nah. But that's unfair because he was a fantastic player. We can admire that without going nuts with the comparisons.

 

[popepouri]

The average would be, just like his batting average is as high as many of the greatest batsmen. As a player? Nah. But that's unfair because he was a fantastic player. We can admire that without going nuts with the comparisons.

I'm being facetious. To me, he's the greatest allrounder behind Sobers.

 

[grecian]

Stealing Swanneh's thunder, and kudos to him for doing so

Hmm, has anyone seen Fred and Piers Morgan in the same room together?

Anyway rank Kallis the better of all the cricketers of the last 20 years, you can downgrade his bowling, but in the end it helped his side out massively in all forms of cricket. The batting was just robotic too, not always great too watch, but excellence can often be dully predictable.

Again, apart from when Murali retired I find it harder to think of a player that will be harder to replace.