Where did Jacques Kallis rank amongst the great all-rounders and cricketers?

[Harsh Thakor]

There is a strong case for Jacques Kallis to be rated as the best all-rounder of all time or on par or 2nd to Sobers and as the best cricketer of the modern generation.On mere figures Jacques Kallis is the greatest all-rounder ever and amongst the top 5 cricketers of all. His figures are simply stupendous or staggering and surpass even those of Imran ,Sobers and Tendulkar as a cricketer.He also displayed great skill as a fast-medium bolwer able to conjure up incredible pace at times and was technically amongst the soundest of his time who on his day could take any attack to the sword.No doubt he was the equivalent of a comet to the game of cricket.

However what went against him is that he lacked the 'x ' factor of stalwart like Sobers ,Lara ,Imran,Botham or even Kapil and often did not step the gas sufficiently to win games.Kallis also was not at his best with both bat and ball for most of his career and for major part was great batsmen who bowled.Also not at his best in tests in England and Australia.Eclipsed greatly by Sobers as a match-winner as well as Imran and Miller or Botham in his peak.Kallis was not as explosive as Sobers with the bat or Imran ,Botham,Hadlee or even Kapil with the ball.Kallis also capitalized greatly on the minnow sin test cricket.To me Sobers would rank ahead because the game is not only about statistics and records but also about artistry and creative genius.In that respect Sobers traversed regions unexplored in every department of the game.Kallis did not posesses Sobers great versatlity with the ball or explosiveness or creativity with the bat .Never has Kallis given an all-round performance of the stature of Gary's 722 runs and 20 wickets with the ball in England in 1966 or capture 21 wickest and score 683 run sfor rest of the world in 1968.He has never played an innings in the league of Sobers;s 132 in the tied trset at Brisbane,254 at Melbourne in 1972 or 113 at Kingston in 1968-69 v England.Similarly never equalled Botham's performances in 1980 Jubilee test in Mumbai or 1981 Ashes.Miller in peak eras was considerably better with both bat and ball.Kallis was also not at his best with the bat in England and Australia or against them like Sobers.In peak ear from 196-68 Sobers overshadowed Kallis wit the ball capturing 129 wickets in around 33 tests.For the later part of his career he captured less than 2 wickets per test.

 

However Kallis's forte is his longevity which is phenomenal ..In terms of batting average Kallis even overshadowed Tendulkar,Lara or Ponting and was in that respect the best batsmen of his generation.Although not as artistic in terms of all-round consummate skill only Sobers was ahead. He was the best of all all-rounders to bat for your life and in that regard in the Tendulkar-Lara class.Kallis also took 5 wickets and scored a century twice which Imran .Miller or Kapil have never done.He also was outstanding with the ball in some series like against West Indies at home and England in 1998.Significantly he even opened the great South African attack with the new ball which is remarkable.Kallis boasts of a better strike rate than Gary Sobers.Considering his era it would have been very difficult for Kallis to carry such a heavy load with the ball.Kallis made a major contribution in South Africa reaching the top of the pedestal in test cricket unlike Tendulkar,Lara,Botham or Hadlee even if he averaged more in draws than wins.If not the executioner he was the architect of many victories for his side.South Africa with Kallis retained top sport in test cricket for a greater duration than Pakistan with Imran but ofcourse Imran played when West Indies were at their best.Had he played in the 1980's with tracks much more helpful he may well have been the leading all-rounder even if overshadowed by the ball by Imran ,Hadlee,Botham and Kapil.His figures in ODI's were marvellous.Phenomenal performance averaging 44 as a batsmen and 31 with the ball.

 

Arguably he has been grossly under rated like at 52nd place in Cristopher Martin Jenkins best 100 list and 80th place in Geoff Armstrong's 100 best.Both rank him below Sobers,Imran ,Miller,Botham,Hadlee and Kapil .I wonder what their criteria was.Only David Gower does him true justice placing him in the top 15 just below Imran and Botham.Great cricketers like Ian Chappell and Mike Procter rated Kallis 2nd to Sobers,ahead of Imran ,Botham,Hadlee and Kapil Dev,doing him more justice.Sadly only 4 cricketers in Richard Sydemham's 100 best xi's selected Kallis in their all-time xi.Sobers was an almost unaninimous choice and the like sof Imran and Botham got many more votes.Strangely even Richard Hadlee, Barry Richards and Mike Procter chose Botham in their all-time team to accompany Sobers,but maybe because Botham was a bowling all-rounder.Colin Croft surprisingly chose Kallis to accompany Sobers.Expert Anantha Narayana on cricifo mathematically ranks Kallis just a whisker behind Sobers,Botham and Imran in that order,but some way above Kapil Dev,Miller and Hadlee.Somehow with a gun on my head I may just vote for Miller,Botham or Imran as a substitute for Sobers as fast bowling all-rounders agree greater match-winners than batting ones.

Kallis was not as impactful at his best in a single  era like Botham,Sobers or Imran or even Kapil Dev but was morally right up there with the best..Although statistically better in terms of average he could not dominate bowling anywhere in the region or league  of Lara,Tendulkar or even Ponting.If I had to guess I would place Kallis in  3rd place,behind  Sobers and Miller as an all-rounder and on par with Botham and Imran.and amongst the top 15 cricketers of all.However with a gun on my head on another day he may rank  a whisker be below the likes of Imran and Botham .I have unanimity that Sobers was no1 but often feel in no man's land where Jacques would actually rank after Sobers. Kallis in my evaluation overall as a cricketer may be a notch below Bradman,Hobbs,Sobers,Imran,Viv Richards ,Tendulkar,Warne,Hammond ,Lara etc and just above  Wasim Akram,Sunil Gavaskar,Ian Botham,Adam Gilchrist ,Richard Hadlee ,Dennis Lillee,Len Hutton,Ricky Ponting etc.Kallis was as impactful and lacked the flair of players like Viv Richards,Tendulkar,Brian Lara and Shane Warne.

 

  

STATS COMPILED BY S.RAJESH FROM CRICINFO

 

 

Jacques Kallis' batting career in Tests

Period	Tests	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
Till Dec 1998	22	1019	30.87	36.62	2/ 5
Jan 1999 to Dec 2007	90	8263	65.06	44.96	27/ 41
Jan 2008 to Feb 2009	17	778	31.12	45.76	1/ 4
Mar 2009 to Dec 2012	29	2920	67.90	54.21	14/ 6
2013	8	309	25.75	47.03	1/ 2
Career	166	13289	55.37	45.97	45/ 58

Jacques Kallis' bowling career in Tests

Period	Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Till 2002	65	136	28.30	63.80	3	22.4
2003 to 2008	62	115	34.14	68.1	2	21.0
2009 onwards	39	41	42.87	90.4	0	15.5
Career	166	292	32.65	69.2	5	20.2

 

Battle of the allrounders
What set Kallis apart among modern-day allrounders was the fact that he averaged more than 50 with the bat - and was clearly among the best batsmen of his era - and yet took enough wickets to qualify as a genuine allrounder: no other player has achieved the double of 6000 runs and 250 wickets in Tests. Most of the other top allrounders batted at No. 6 or 7 and averaged in the mid-30s with the bat, but Kallis's batting skills were clearly superior.

The table below lists the top allrounders by the difference between their batting and bowling averages, and the only player with similar stats as Kallis is Garry Sobers - he averaged 57.78 with the bat and 34.03 with the ball, and the difference of 23.74 is marginally higher than Kallis' 22.72.

The other allrounders all have a difference of less than 15 between their batting and bowling averages, which is where Kallis's numbers stand out. However, Kallis averaged only 1.76 wickets per Test, while the others in the list below (apart from Sobers) took at least three per match.

 

The top allrounders in Test cricket (at least 2500 runs and 150 wkts)

Player	Tests	Runs	Bat ave	Wickets	Bowl ave	Difference*
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	235	34.03	23.74
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	292	32.65	22.72
Imran Khan	88	3807	37.69	362	22.81	14.88
Keith Miller	55	2958	36.97	170	22.97	13.99
Shaun Pollock	108	3781	32.31	421	23.11	9.19
Ian Botham	102	5200	33.54	383	28.40	5.14
Richard Hadlee	86	3124	27.16	431	22.29	4.86
Chris Cairns	62	3320	33.53	218	29.40	4.13
Kapil Dev	131	5248	31.05	434	29.64	1.40

* Difference between batting and bowling averages

 

Given the similarity in their numbers, it's clear that Sobers is the one player whose career numbers in both batting and bowling can be compared with Kallis. There's little to choose between their batting averages, but what stands out among the bowling numbers is the amount of overs Sobers bowled per Test - 39, compared with 20 for Kallis.

Sobers' career stretched over 20 years as well but because of the lesser frequency of matches, he only played 93 Tests, to Kallis's 166. Extrapolating Sobers's numbers after 93 matches and stretching it over 166 Tests, Sobers's career stats go up to 14,337 with 46 hundreds (to Kallis's 13,289 with 45), 195 catches (to Kallis's 200), and 419 wickets (to Kallis's 292). Clearly, the fact that Sobers bowled nearly twice as many overs per match as Kallis contributes to the huge difference in wickets.

 

Jacques Kallis' batting career in Tests

Period	Tests	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
Till Dec 1998	22	1019	30.87	36.62	2/ 5
Jan 1999 to Dec 2007	90	8263	65.06	44.96	27/ 41
Jan 2008 to Feb 2009	17	778	31.12	45.76	1/ 4
Mar 2009 to Dec 2012	29	2920	67.90	54.21	14/ 6
2013	8	309	25.75	47.03	1/ 2
Career	166	13289	55.37	45.97	45/ 58

Jacques Kallis' bowling career in Tests

Period	Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Till 2002	65	136	28.30	63.80	3	22.4
2003 to 2008	62	115	34.14	68.1	2	21.0
2009 onwards	39	41	42.87	90.4	0	15.5
Career	166	292	32.65	69.2	5	20.2

 

Battle of the allrounders
What set Kallis apart among modern-day allrounders was the fact that he averaged more than 50 with the bat - and was clearly among the best batsmen of his era - and yet took enough wickets to qualify as a genuine allrounder: no other player has achieved the double of 6000 runs and 250 wickets in Tests. Most of the other top allrounders batted at No. 6 or 7 and averaged in the mid-30s with the bat, but Kallis's batting skills were clearly superior.

The table below lists the top allrounders by the difference between their batting and bowling averages, and the only player with similar stats as Kallis is Garry Sobers - he averaged 57.78 with the bat and 34.03 with the ball, and the difference of 23.74 is marginally higher than Kallis' 22.72.

The other allrounders all have a difference of less than 15 between their batting and bowling averages, which is where Kallis's numbers stand out. However, Kallis averaged only 1.76 wickets per Test, while the others in the list below (apart from Sobers) took at least three per match.

 

The top allrounders in Test cricket (at least 2500 runs and 150 wkts)

Player	Tests	Runs	Bat ave	Wickets	Bowl ave	Difference*
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	235	34.03	23.74
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	292	32.65	22.72
Imran Khan	88	3807	37.69	362	22.81	14.88
Keith Miller	55	2958	36.97	170	22.97	13.99
Shaun Pollock	108	3781	32.31	421	23.11	9.19
Ian Botham	102	5200	33.54	383	28.40	5.14
Richard Hadlee	86	3124	27.16	431	22.29	4.86
Chris Cairns	62	3320	33.53	218	29.40	4.13
Kapil Dev	131	5248	31.05	434	29.64	1.40

* Difference between batting and bowling averages

 

Given the similarity in their numbers, it's clear that Sobers is the one player whose career numbers in both batting and bowling can be compared with Kallis. There's little to choose between their batting averages, but what stands out among the bowling numbers is the amount of overs Sobers bowled per Test - 39, compared with 20 for Kallis.

Sobers' career stretched over 20 years as well but because of the lesser frequency of matches, he only played 93 Tests, to Kallis's 166. Extrapolating Sobers's numbers after 93 matches and stretching it over 166 Tests, Sobers's career stats go up to 14,337 with 46 hundreds (to Kallis's 13,289 with 45), 195 catches (to Kallis's 200), and 419 wickets (to Kallis's 292). Clearly, the fact that Sobers bowled nearly twice as many overs per match as Kallis contributes to the huge difference in wickets.

 

Sobers v Kallis - batting comparison

	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	26/ 30
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	45/ 58

Sobers v Kallis - bowling comparison

	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Garry Sobers	235	34.03	91.9	6	39
Jacques Kallis	292	32.65	69.2	5	20

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by Harsh Thakor

[rtmohanlal]

as of now for me he is the GOAT.

Playing so long in both formats  and maintaining such great track records  in both formats is just incredible. Dravid & Zaheer Khan rolled into one.

 

 

 

[Tattieboy]

2 hours ago, Harsh Thakor said:

There is a strong case for Jacques Kallis to be rated as the best all-rounder of all time or on par or 2nd to Sobers and as the best cricketer of the modern generation.On mere figures Jacques Kallis is the greatest all-rounder ever and amongst the top 5 cricketers of all. His figures are simply stupendous or staggering and surpass even those of Imran ,Sobers and Tendulkar as a cricketer.He also displayed great skill as a fast-medium bolwer able to conjure up incredible pace at times and was technically amongst the soundest of his time who on his day could take any attack to the sword.No doubt he was the equivalent of a comet to the game of cricket.

However what went against him is that he lacked the 'x ' factor of stalwart like Sobers ,Lara ,Imran,Botham or even Kapil and often did not step the gas sufficiently to win games.Kallis also was not at his best with both bat and ball for most of his career and for major part was great batsmen who bowled.Also not at his best in tests in England and Australia.Eclipsed greatly by Sobers as a match-winner as well as Imran and Miller or Botham in his peak.Kallis was not as explosive as Sobers with the bat or Imran ,Botham,Hadlee or even Kapil with the ball.Kallis also capitalized greatly on the minnow sin test cricket.To me Sobers would rank ahead because the game is not only about statistics and records but also about artistry and creative genius.In that respect Sobers traversed regions unexplored in every department of the game.Kallis did not posesses Sobers great versatlity with the ball or explosiveness or creativity with the bat .Never has Kallis given an all-round performance of the stature of Gary's 722 runs and 20 wickets with the ball in England in 1966 or capture 21 wickest and score 683 run sfor rest of the world in 1968.He has never played an innings in the league of Sobers;s 132 in the tied trset at Brisbane,254 at Melbourne in 1972 or 113 at Kingston in 1968-69 v England.Similarly never equalled Botham's performances in 1980 Jubilee test in Mumbai or 1981 Ashes.Miller in peak eras was considerably better with both bat and ball.Kallis was also not at his best with the bat in England and Australia or against them like Sobers.In peak ear from 196-68 Sobers overshadowed Kallis wit the ball capturing 129 wickets in around 33 tests.For the later part of his career he captured less than 2 wickets per test.

 

However Kallis's forte is his longevity which is phenomenal ..In terms of batting average Kallis even overshadowed Tendulkar,Lara or Ponting and was in that respect the best batsmen of his generation.Although not as artistic in terms of all-round consummate skill only Sobers was ahead. He was the best of all all-rounders to bat for your life and in that regard in the Tendulkar-Lara class.Kallis also took 5 wickets and scored a century twice which Imran .Miller or Kapil have never done.He also was outstanding with the ball in some series like against West Indies at home and England in 1998.Significantly he even opened the great South African attack with the new ball which is remarkable.Kallis boasts of a better strike rate than Gary Sobers.Considering his era it would have been very difficult for Kallis to carry such a heavy load with the ball.Kallis made a major contribution in South Africa reaching the top of the pedestal in test cricket unlike Tendulkar,Lara,Botham or Hadlee even if he averaged more in draws than wins.If not the executioner he was the architect of many victories for his side.South Africa with Kallis retained top sport in test cricket for a greater duration than Pakistan with Imran but ofcourse Imran played when West Indies were at their best.Had he played in the 1980's with tracks much more helpful he may well have been the leading all-rounder even if overshadowed by the ball by Imran ,Hadlee,Botham and Kapil.His figures in ODI's were marvellous.Phenomenal performance averaging 44 as a batsmen and 31 with the ball.

 

Arguably he has been grossly under rated like at 52nd place in Cristopher Martin Jenkins best 100 list and 80th place in Geoff Armstrong's 100 best.Both rank him below Sobers,Imran ,Miller,Botham,Hadlee and Kapil .I wonder what their criteria was.Only David Gower does him true justice placing him in the top 15 just below Imran and Botham.Great cricketers like Ian Chappell and Mike Procter rated Kallis 2nd to Sobers,ahead of Imran ,Botham,Hadlee and Kapil Dev,doing him more justice.Sadly only 4 cricketers in Richard Sydemham's 100 best xi's selected Kallis in their all-time xi.Sobers was an almost unaninimous choice and the like sof Imran and Botham got many more votes.Strangely even Richard Hadlee, Barry Richards and Mike Procter chose Botham in their all-time team to accompany Sobers,but maybe because Botham was a bowling all-rounder.Colin Croft surprisingly chose Kallis to accompany Sobers.Expert Anantha Narayana on cricifo mathematically ranks Kallis just a whisker behind Sobers,Botham and Imran in that order,but some way above Kapil Dev,Miller and Hadlee.Somehow with a gun on my head I may just vote for Miller,Botham or Imran as a substitute for Sobers as fast bowling all-rounders agree greater match-winners than batting ones.

Kallis was not as impactful at his best in a single  era like Botham,Sobers or Imran or even Kapil Dev but was morally right up there with the best..Although statistically better in terms of average he could not dominate bowling anywhere in the region or league  of Lara,Tendulkar or even Ponting.If I had to guess I would place Kallis in  3rd place,behind  Sobers and Miller as an all-rounder and on par with Botham and Imran.and amongst the top 15 cricketers of all.However with a gun on my head on another day he may rank  a whisker be below the likes of Imran and Botham .I have unanimity that Sobers was no1 but often feel in no man's land where Jacques would actually rank after Sobers. Kallis in my evaluation overall as a cricketer may be a notch below Bradman,Hobbs,Sobers,Imran,Viv Richards ,Tendulkar,Warne,Hammond ,Lara etc and just above  Wasim Akram,Sunil Gavaskar,Ian Botham,Adam Gilchrist ,Richard Hadlee ,Dennis Lillee,Len Hutton,Ricky Ponting etc.Kallis was as impactful and lacked the flair of players like Viv Richards,Tendulkar,Brian Lara and Shane Warne.

 

  

STATS COMPILED BY S.RAJESH FROM CRICINFO

 

 

Jacques Kallis' batting career in Tests

Period	Tests	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
Till Dec 1998	22	1019	30.87	36.62	2/ 5
Jan 1999 to Dec 2007	90	8263	65.06	44.96	27/ 41
Jan 2008 to Feb 2009	17	778	31.12	45.76	1/ 4
Mar 2009 to Dec 2012	29	2920	67.90	54.21	14/ 6
2013	8	309	25.75	47.03	1/ 2
Career	166	13289	55.37	45.97	45/ 58

Jacques Kallis' bowling career in Tests

Period	Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Till 2002	65	136	28.30	63.80	3	22.4
2003 to 2008	62	115	34.14	68.1	2	21.0
2009 onwards	39	41	42.87	90.4	0	15.5
Career	166	292	32.65	69.2	5	20.2

 

Battle of the allrounders
What set Kallis apart among modern-day allrounders was the fact that he averaged more than 50 with the bat - and was clearly among the best batsmen of his era - and yet took enough wickets to qualify as a genuine allrounder: no other player has achieved the double of 6000 runs and 250 wickets in Tests. Most of the other top allrounders batted at No. 6 or 7 and averaged in the mid-30s with the bat, but Kallis's batting skills were clearly superior.

The table below lists the top allrounders by the difference between their batting and bowling averages, and the only player with similar stats as Kallis is Garry Sobers - he averaged 57.78 with the bat and 34.03 with the ball, and the difference of 23.74 is marginally higher than Kallis' 22.72.

The other allrounders all have a difference of less than 15 between their batting and bowling averages, which is where Kallis's numbers stand out. However, Kallis averaged only 1.76 wickets per Test, while the others in the list below (apart from Sobers) took at least three per match.

 

The top allrounders in Test cricket (at least 2500 runs and 150 wkts)

Player	Tests	Runs	Bat ave	Wickets	Bowl ave	Difference*
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	235	34.03	23.74
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	292	32.65	22.72
Imran Khan	88	3807	37.69	362	22.81	14.88
Keith Miller	55	2958	36.97	170	22.97	13.99
Shaun Pollock	108	3781	32.31	421	23.11	9.19
Ian Botham	102	5200	33.54	383	28.40	5.14
Richard Hadlee	86	3124	27.16	431	22.29	4.86
Chris Cairns	62	3320	33.53	218	29.40	4.13
Kapil Dev	131	5248	31.05	434	29.64	1.40

* Difference between batting and bowling averages

 

Given the similarity in their numbers, it's clear that Sobers is the one player whose career numbers in both batting and bowling can be compared with Kallis. There's little to choose between their batting averages, but what stands out among the bowling numbers is the amount of overs Sobers bowled per Test - 39, compared with 20 for Kallis.

Sobers' career stretched over 20 years as well but because of the lesser frequency of matches, he only played 93 Tests, to Kallis's 166. Extrapolating Sobers's numbers after 93 matches and stretching it over 166 Tests, Sobers's career stats go up to 14,337 with 46 hundreds (to Kallis's 13,289 with 45), 195 catches (to Kallis's 200), and 419 wickets (to Kallis's 292). Clearly, the fact that Sobers bowled nearly twice as many overs per match as Kallis contributes to the huge difference in wickets.

 

Jacques Kallis' batting career in Tests

Period	Tests	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
Till Dec 1998	22	1019	30.87	36.62	2/ 5
Jan 1999 to Dec 2007	90	8263	65.06	44.96	27/ 41
Jan 2008 to Feb 2009	17	778	31.12	45.76	1/ 4
Mar 2009 to Dec 2012	29	2920	67.90	54.21	14/ 6
2013	8	309	25.75	47.03	1/ 2
Career	166	13289	55.37	45.97	45/ 58

Jacques Kallis' bowling career in Tests

Period	Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Till 2002	65	136	28.30	63.80	3	22.4
2003 to 2008	62	115	34.14	68.1	2	21.0
2009 onwards	39	41	42.87	90.4	0	15.5
Career	166	292	32.65	69.2	5	20.2

 

Battle of the allrounders
What set Kallis apart among modern-day allrounders was the fact that he averaged more than 50 with the bat - and was clearly among the best batsmen of his era - and yet took enough wickets to qualify as a genuine allrounder: no other player has achieved the double of 6000 runs and 250 wickets in Tests. Most of the other top allrounders batted at No. 6 or 7 and averaged in the mid-30s with the bat, but Kallis's batting skills were clearly superior.

The table below lists the top allrounders by the difference between their batting and bowling averages, and the only player with similar stats as Kallis is Garry Sobers - he averaged 57.78 with the bat and 34.03 with the ball, and the difference of 23.74 is marginally higher than Kallis' 22.72.

The other allrounders all have a difference of less than 15 between their batting and bowling averages, which is where Kallis's numbers stand out. However, Kallis averaged only 1.76 wickets per Test, while the others in the list below (apart from Sobers) took at least three per match.

 

The top allrounders in Test cricket (at least 2500 runs and 150 wkts)

Player	Tests	Runs	Bat ave	Wickets	Bowl ave	Difference*
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	235	34.03	23.74
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	292	32.65	22.72
Imran Khan	88	3807	37.69	362	22.81	14.88
Keith Miller	55	2958	36.97	170	22.97	13.99
Shaun Pollock	108	3781	32.31	421	23.11	9.19
Ian Botham	102	5200	33.54	383	28.40	5.14
Richard Hadlee	86	3124	27.16	431	22.29	4.86
Chris Cairns	62	3320	33.53	218	29.40	4.13
Kapil Dev	131	5248	31.05	434	29.64	1.40

* Difference between batting and bowling averages

 

Given the similarity in their numbers, it's clear that Sobers is the one player whose career numbers in both batting and bowling can be compared with Kallis. There's little to choose between their batting averages, but what stands out among the bowling numbers is the amount of overs Sobers bowled per Test - 39, compared with 20 for Kallis.

Sobers' career stretched over 20 years as well but because of the lesser frequency of matches, he only played 93 Tests, to Kallis's 166. Extrapolating Sobers's numbers after 93 matches and stretching it over 166 Tests, Sobers's career stats go up to 14,337 with 46 hundreds (to Kallis's 13,289 with 45), 195 catches (to Kallis's 200), and 419 wickets (to Kallis's 292). Clearly, the fact that Sobers bowled nearly twice as many overs per match as Kallis contributes to the huge difference in wickets.

 

Sobers v Kallis - batting comparison

	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	26/ 30
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	45/ 58

Sobers v Kallis - bowling comparison

	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Garry Sobers	235	34.03	91.9	6	39
Jacques Kallis	292	32.65	69.2	5	20

 

No mention of Sobers bowling pace and bowling left arm Chinamen !

Sobers it is for me , even when I played against him two years after Test retirement he was some player and the most characteristic cricketer I ever came across . 

[Vijy]

12 hours ago, Harsh Thakor said:

There is a strong case for Jacques Kallis to be rated as the best all-rounder of all time or on par or 2nd to Sobers and as the best cricketer of the modern generation.On mere figures Jacques Kallis is the greatest all-rounder ever and amongst the top 5 cricketers of all. His figures are simply stupendous or staggering and surpass even those of Imran ,Sobers and Tendulkar as a cricketer.He also displayed great skill as a fast-medium bolwer able to conjure up incredible pace at times and was technically amongst the soundest of his time who on his day could take any attack to the sword.No doubt he was the equivalent of a comet to the game of cricket.

However what went against him is that he lacked the 'x ' factor of stalwart like Sobers ,Lara ,Imran,Botham or even Kapil and often did not step the gas sufficiently to win games.Kallis also was not at his best with both bat and ball for most of his career and for major part was great batsmen who bowled.Also not at his best in tests in England and Australia.Eclipsed greatly by Sobers as a match-winner as well as Imran and Miller or Botham in his peak.Kallis was not as explosive as Sobers with the bat or Imran ,Botham,Hadlee or even Kapil with the ball.Kallis also capitalized greatly on the minnow sin test cricket.To me Sobers would rank ahead because the game is not only about statistics and records but also about artistry and creative genius.In that respect Sobers traversed regions unexplored in every department of the game.Kallis did not posesses Sobers great versatlity with the ball or explosiveness or creativity with the bat .Never has Kallis given an all-round performance of the stature of Gary's 722 runs and 20 wickets with the ball in England in 1966 or capture 21 wickest and score 683 run sfor rest of the world in 1968.He has never played an innings in the league of Sobers;s 132 in the tied trset at Brisbane,254 at Melbourne in 1972 or 113 at Kingston in 1968-69 v England.Similarly never equalled Botham's performances in 1980 Jubilee test in Mumbai or 1981 Ashes.Miller in peak eras was considerably better with both bat and ball.Kallis was also not at his best with the bat in England and Australia or against them like Sobers.In peak ear from 196-68 Sobers overshadowed Kallis wit the ball capturing 129 wickets in around 33 tests.For the later part of his career he captured less than 2 wickets per test.

 

However Kallis's forte is his longevity which is phenomenal ..In terms of batting average Kallis even overshadowed Tendulkar,Lara or Ponting and was in that respect the best batsmen of his generation.Although not as artistic in terms of all-round consummate skill only Sobers was ahead. He was the best of all all-rounders to bat for your life and in that regard in the Tendulkar-Lara class.Kallis also took 5 wickets and scored a century twice which Imran .Miller or Kapil have never done.He also was outstanding with the ball in some series like against West Indies at home and England in 1998.Significantly he even opened the great South African attack with the new ball which is remarkable.Kallis boasts of a better strike rate than Gary Sobers.Considering his era it would have been very difficult for Kallis to carry such a heavy load with the ball.Kallis made a major contribution in South Africa reaching the top of the pedestal in test cricket unlike Tendulkar,Lara,Botham or Hadlee even if he averaged more in draws than wins.If not the executioner he was the architect of many victories for his side.South Africa with Kallis retained top sport in test cricket for a greater duration than Pakistan with Imran but ofcourse Imran played when West Indies were at their best.Had he played in the 1980's with tracks much more helpful he may well have been the leading all-rounder even if overshadowed by the ball by Imran ,Hadlee,Botham and Kapil.His figures in ODI's were marvellous.Phenomenal performance averaging 44 as a batsmen and 31 with the ball.

 

Arguably he has been grossly under rated like at 52nd place in Cristopher Martin Jenkins best 100 list and 80th place in Geoff Armstrong's 100 best.Both rank him below Sobers,Imran ,Miller,Botham,Hadlee and Kapil .I wonder what their criteria was.Only David Gower does him true justice placing him in the top 15 just below Imran and Botham.Great cricketers like Ian Chappell and Mike Procter rated Kallis 2nd to Sobers,ahead of Imran ,Botham,Hadlee and Kapil Dev,doing him more justice.Sadly only 4 cricketers in Richard Sydemham's 100 best xi's selected Kallis in their all-time xi.Sobers was an almost unaninimous choice and the like sof Imran and Botham got many more votes.Strangely even Richard Hadlee, Barry Richards and Mike Procter chose Botham in their all-time team to accompany Sobers,but maybe because Botham was a bowling all-rounder.Colin Croft surprisingly chose Kallis to accompany Sobers.Expert Anantha Narayana on cricifo mathematically ranks Kallis just a whisker behind Sobers,Botham and Imran in that order,but some way above Kapil Dev,Miller and Hadlee.Somehow with a gun on my head I may just vote for Miller,Botham or Imran as a substitute for Sobers as fast bowling all-rounders agree greater match-winners than batting ones.

Kallis was not as impactful at his best in a single  era like Botham,Sobers or Imran or even Kapil Dev but was morally right up there with the best..Although statistically better in terms of average he could not dominate bowling anywhere in the region or league  of Lara,Tendulkar or even Ponting.If I had to guess I would place Kallis in  3rd place,behind  Sobers and Miller as an all-rounder and on par with Botham and Imran.and amongst the top 15 cricketers of all.However with a gun on my head on another day he may rank  a whisker be below the likes of Imran and Botham .I have unanimity that Sobers was no1 but often feel in no man's land where Jacques would actually rank after Sobers. Kallis in my evaluation overall as a cricketer may be a notch below Bradman,Hobbs,Sobers,Imran,Viv Richards ,Tendulkar,Warne,Hammond ,Lara etc and just above  Wasim Akram,Sunil Gavaskar,Ian Botham,Adam Gilchrist ,Richard Hadlee ,Dennis Lillee,Len Hutton,Ricky Ponting etc.Kallis was as impactful and lacked the flair of players like Viv Richards,Tendulkar,Brian Lara and Shane Warne.

 

  

STATS COMPILED BY S.RAJESH FROM CRICINFO

 

 

Jacques Kallis' batting career in Tests

Period	Tests	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
Till Dec 1998	22	1019	30.87	36.62	2/ 5
Jan 1999 to Dec 2007	90	8263	65.06	44.96	27/ 41
Jan 2008 to Feb 2009	17	778	31.12	45.76	1/ 4
Mar 2009 to Dec 2012	29	2920	67.90	54.21	14/ 6
2013	8	309	25.75	47.03	1/ 2
Career	166	13289	55.37	45.97	45/ 58

Jacques Kallis' bowling career in Tests

Period	Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Till 2002	65	136	28.30	63.80	3	22.4
2003 to 2008	62	115	34.14	68.1	2	21.0
2009 onwards	39	41	42.87	90.4	0	15.5
Career	166	292	32.65	69.2	5	20.2

 

Battle of the allrounders
What set Kallis apart among modern-day allrounders was the fact that he averaged more than 50 with the bat - and was clearly among the best batsmen of his era - and yet took enough wickets to qualify as a genuine allrounder: no other player has achieved the double of 6000 runs and 250 wickets in Tests. Most of the other top allrounders batted at No. 6 or 7 and averaged in the mid-30s with the bat, but Kallis's batting skills were clearly superior.

The table below lists the top allrounders by the difference between their batting and bowling averages, and the only player with similar stats as Kallis is Garry Sobers - he averaged 57.78 with the bat and 34.03 with the ball, and the difference of 23.74 is marginally higher than Kallis' 22.72.

The other allrounders all have a difference of less than 15 between their batting and bowling averages, which is where Kallis's numbers stand out. However, Kallis averaged only 1.76 wickets per Test, while the others in the list below (apart from Sobers) took at least three per match.

 

The top allrounders in Test cricket (at least 2500 runs and 150 wkts)

Player	Tests	Runs	Bat ave	Wickets	Bowl ave	Difference*
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	235	34.03	23.74
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	292	32.65	22.72
Imran Khan	88	3807	37.69	362	22.81	14.88
Keith Miller	55	2958	36.97	170	22.97	13.99
Shaun Pollock	108	3781	32.31	421	23.11	9.19
Ian Botham	102	5200	33.54	383	28.40	5.14
Richard Hadlee	86	3124	27.16	431	22.29	4.86
Chris Cairns	62	3320	33.53	218	29.40	4.13
Kapil Dev	131	5248	31.05	434	29.64	1.40

* Difference between batting and bowling averages

 

Given the similarity in their numbers, it's clear that Sobers is the one player whose career numbers in both batting and bowling can be compared with Kallis. There's little to choose between their batting averages, but what stands out among the bowling numbers is the amount of overs Sobers bowled per Test - 39, compared with 20 for Kallis.

Sobers' career stretched over 20 years as well but because of the lesser frequency of matches, he only played 93 Tests, to Kallis's 166. Extrapolating Sobers's numbers after 93 matches and stretching it over 166 Tests, Sobers's career stats go up to 14,337 with 46 hundreds (to Kallis's 13,289 with 45), 195 catches (to Kallis's 200), and 419 wickets (to Kallis's 292). Clearly, the fact that Sobers bowled nearly twice as many overs per match as Kallis contributes to the huge difference in wickets.

 

Jacques Kallis' batting career in Tests

Period	Tests	Runs	Average	Strike rate	100s/ 50s
Till Dec 1998	22	1019	30.87	36.62	2/ 5
Jan 1999 to Dec 2007	90	8263	65.06	44.96	27/ 41
Jan 2008 to Feb 2009	17	778	31.12	45.76	1/ 4
Mar 2009 to Dec 2012	29	2920	67.90	54.21	14/ 6
2013	8	309	25.75	47.03	1/ 2
Career	166	13289	55.37	45.97	45/ 58

Jacques Kallis' bowling career in Tests

Period	Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Till 2002	65	136	28.30	63.80	3	22.4
2003 to 2008	62	115	34.14	68.1	2	21.0
2009 onwards	39	41	42.87	90.4	0	15.5
Career	166	292	32.65	69.2	5	20.2

 

Battle of the allrounders
What set Kallis apart among modern-day allrounders was the fact that he averaged more than 50 with the bat - and was clearly among the best batsmen of his era - and yet took enough wickets to qualify as a genuine allrounder: no other player has achieved the double of 6000 runs and 250 wickets in Tests. Most of the other top allrounders batted at No. 6 or 7 and averaged in the mid-30s with the bat, but Kallis's batting skills were clearly superior.

The table below lists the top allrounders by the difference between their batting and bowling averages, and the only player with similar stats as Kallis is Garry Sobers - he averaged 57.78 with the bat and 34.03 with the ball, and the difference of 23.74 is marginally higher than Kallis' 22.72.

The other allrounders all have a difference of less than 15 between their batting and bowling averages, which is where Kallis's numbers stand out. However, Kallis averaged only 1.76 wickets per Test, while the others in the list below (apart from Sobers) took at least three per match.

 

The top allrounders in Test cricket (at least 2500 runs and 150 wkts)

Player	Tests	Runs	Bat ave	Wickets	Bowl ave	Difference*
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	235	34.03	23.74
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	292	32.65	22.72
Imran Khan	88	3807	37.69	362	22.81	14.88
Keith Miller	55	2958	36.97	170	22.97	13.99
Shaun Pollock	108	3781	32.31	421	23.11	9.19
Ian Botham	102	5200	33.54	383	28.40	5.14
Richard Hadlee	86	3124	27.16	431	22.29	4.86
Chris Cairns	62	3320	33.53	218	29.40	4.13
Kapil Dev	131	5248	31.05	434	29.64	1.40

* Difference between batting and bowling averages

 

Given the similarity in their numbers, it's clear that Sobers is the one player whose career numbers in both batting and bowling can be compared with Kallis. There's little to choose between their batting averages, but what stands out among the bowling numbers is the amount of overs Sobers bowled per Test - 39, compared with 20 for Kallis.

Sobers' career stretched over 20 years as well but because of the lesser frequency of matches, he only played 93 Tests, to Kallis's 166. Extrapolating Sobers's numbers after 93 matches and stretching it over 166 Tests, Sobers's career stats go up to 14,337 with 46 hundreds (to Kallis's 13,289 with 45), 195 catches (to Kallis's 200), and 419 wickets (to Kallis's 292). Clearly, the fact that Sobers bowled nearly twice as many overs per match as Kallis contributes to the huge difference in wickets.

 

Sobers v Kallis - batting comparison

	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Garry Sobers	93	8032	57.78	26/ 30
Jacques Kallis	166	13,289	55.37	45/ 58

Sobers v Kallis - bowling comparison

	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI	Overs/Test
Garry Sobers	235	34.03	91.9	6	39
Jacques Kallis	292	32.65	69.2	5	20

 

Kallis could not win matches with the ball; one may, perhaps, say the same about Sobers because of his low SR, but this was in an era where batsmen were very cautious and SRs were high - compare, for e.g., chandrasekhar and bedi's SRs with ashwin and jaddu. I think Sobers was far more versatile with the ball, and there are some series where he picked around 4 wkts per match.

 

Also, we need to remove Bangladeshs and Zim from Kallis' resume, because these teams were minnows for most of Kallis' career. Zim was fine until 2003, but quite bad since then. His bowling avg goes up to 35.4. Against the better batting teams of his period, he had an avg of 37.6 against Oz and 41.3 against Ind. Against none of the 7 teams does he have an avg below 30, and his best is against the comparatively weak WI at 30.1. In 154 matches against these teams, he has only 3 hauls of 5+ wkts.

 

Putting all these stats aside, Kallis was always a support bowler who was meant to serve as a back-up foil for SA's real pacers like Donald, Pollock, Ntini, Steyn, etc. As a batsman, he is damn good but Sobers was definitely much better, both in terms of avgs and pure batting ability. As a fielder, I rate Sobers better too.

 

To me, an all-rounder is someone who can win games in both disciplines; it's not merely about being super-consistent in both as Kallis was. Hence, I will put Sobers > Kallis, but also other impact players such as Keith Miller and peak Botham above Kallis.

[Vilander]

He is a Great batsman and a very good pace bowler rolled into one. No one comes close.

[Vilander]

@Harsh Thakor

 

some one who rates some random miller over kallis just for being different - is not just different but more different like a clown. 

[gazza]

Miller isn’t random, from a 50+ test career he averaged almost 37 with the bat and as a fast bowler averaged about 23, miller is one of the best of all time, a real pure all rounder. Also averaged near 50 with the bat in domestic Aussie cricket.

[rtmohanlal]

2 hours ago, gazza said:

Miller isn’t random, from a 50+ test career he averaged almost 37 with the bat and as a fast bowler averaged about 23, miller is one of the best of all time, a real pure all rounder. Also averaged near 50 with the bat in domestic Aussie cricket.

but Miller never played much in Subcontinent. So that part of him is still inconclusive. 

[gazza]

1 hour ago, rtmohanlal said:

but Miller never played much in Subcontinent. So that part of him is still inconclusive. 

Then in 10/20/30/40 etc years be sure to take points off Kapil for not playing in Afghanistan or Ireland because that part of him will be inconclusive.

 

i was simply pointing out that miller is an all time great, not jut a random.

Edited May 5, 2019 by gazza

[rtmohanlal]

33 minutes ago, gazza said:

Then in 10/20/30/40 etc years be sure to take points off Kapil for not playing in Afghanistan or Ireland because that part of him will be inconclusive.

 

i was simply pointing out that miller is an all time great, not jut a random.

Afghan & Ireland  are still part of cricket playing continents. So records in SENA & subcontinent  are still testimony of  a players chances of  succeeding in newer countries as Afghan,Ireland too. But Miller's case is different with a single test in subcontinent(highly inconclusive).

We have proven  examples like Sehwag, Mahela Jayawardene,Hayden etc etc

[mancalledsting]

People who think his bowling is eqivalent to Zaheer Khan just stop for a second and think about what you're really saying. 

[gazza]

On 5/5/2019 at 8:50 PM, rtmohanlal said:

Afghan & Ireland  are still part of cricket playing continents. So records in SENA & subcontinent  are still testimony of  a players chances of  succeeding in newer countries as Afghan,Ireland too. But Miller's case is different with a single test in subcontinent(highly inconclusive).

We have proven  examples like Sehwag, Mahela Jayawardene,Hayden etc etc

Ok, so let’s say USA get test status one day, or become solidly implanted in the odi and t20 cricket culture, you’d have to take points off Kapil because he never played against them or in their backyard.

 

will Tendulkar’s record be any less impressive in 100 years if there are a lot more test and odi teams? We will no longer be able to say he performed well everywhere, against everyone, in all conditions.

 

Do current greats automatically get a higher ranking because t20Is are common which includes a World Cup? It’s an entirely different format which previous generations from a certain point didn’t have to deal with.

 

[mancalledsting]

34 minutes ago, gazza said:

Ok, so let’s say USA get test status one day, or become solidly implanted in the odi and t20 cricket culture, you’d have to take points off Kapil because he never played against them or in their backyard.

 

will Tendulkar’s record be any less impressive in 100 years if there are a lot more test and odi teams? We will no longer be able to say he performed well everywhere, against everyone, in all conditions.

 

Do current greats automatically get a higher ranking because t20Is are common which includes a World Cup? It’s an entirely different format which previous generations from a certain point didn’t have to deal with.

 

slight difference between addition of the USA in t20 and in tests facing Windies in Barbados, Murali in Colombo or Kumble in Eden gardens. If it was just the addition of one testing opponent then fair enough but addition of WI, SL, India, Pakistan (where westerners are tested most) is signficant

Edited May 6, 2019 by mancalledsting

[rtmohanlal]

4 hours ago, gazza said:

Ok, so let’s say USA get test status one day, or become solidly implanted in the odi and t20 cricket culture, you’d have to take points off Kapil because he never played against them or in their backyard.

 

will Tendulkar’s record be any less impressive in 100 years if there are a lot more test and odi teams? We will no longer be able to say he performed well everywhere, against everyone, in all conditions.

 

Do current greats automatically get a higher ranking because t20Is are common which includes a World Cup? It’s an entirely different format which previous generations from a certain point didn’t have to deal with.

 

not into any  argument ... just put forward my  logic for not taking Miller  that highly. Each to their own 

[gazza]

5 hours ago, rtmohanlal said:

not into any  argument ... just put forward my  logic for not taking Miller  that highly. Each to their own 

And I’m applying your own logic to Kapil and what potentially may happen in the future, I’m not looking for an argument either, just looking for reason.

[First class]

Sobers, Imran, Kapil and Botham and even Hadlee had won more matches for their country and Imran and kapil, led their team to win the world cup in foreign soil. Kallis stats are great but he did not win much glories for SA, that put him behind them. 

[gazza]

kallis had potential with the ball, not saying he would’ve been an all time great or anything but he could have if he had chosen to of still had an international career as a bowler, although would’ve been tough as a pace bowler and playing for SA. He was used as a core batsman who could be called upon with the ball whenever they wanted another pace bowler, they did use him sparingly and in short bursts for the most part in the latter half of his career so from that clearly a batting allrounder.

 

sobers was a different type of all rounder, a more aggressive batsman, batted lower for the most part, and with the ball was relied upon for a lot more overs and in different ways with his pace and two types of spin.

 

i tend to rate genuine all rounders I.e. imo players who are cores as both batsmen and bowlers ahead of batting allrounders or bowling allrounders.

 

pretty much I’ve got sobers, kapil, Procter, rice, botham, cairns, miller etc as those type of players. 

 

But pollock, hadlee, kallis type allrounders are close to being genuine allrounders due to talent and stats it’s just they didn’t get used in those roles for their teams.

 

kallis is a monumental cricket player for longevity and stats but when I think of top allrounders he doesn’t pop up in mind until after a few others.

[Harsh Thakor]

On 5/5/2019 at 5:55 AM, Vijy said:

Kallis could not win matches with the ball; one may, perhaps, say the same about Sobers because of his low SR, but this was in an era where batsmen were very cautious and SRs were high - compare, for e.g., chandrasekhar and bedi's SRs with ashwin and jaddu. I think Sobers was far more versatile with the ball, and there are some series where he picked around 4 wkts per match.

 

Also, we need to remove Bangladeshs and Zim from Kallis' resume, because these teams were minnows for most of Kallis' career. Zim was fine until 2003, but quite bad since then. His bowling avg goes up to 35.4. Against the better batting teams of his period, he had an avg of 37.6 against Oz and 41.3 against Ind. Against none of the 7 teams does he have an avg below 30, and his best is against the comparatively weak WI at 30.1. In 154 matches against these teams, he has only 3 hauls of 5+ wkts.

 

Putting all these stats aside, Kallis was always a support bowler who was meant to serve as a back-up foil for SA's real pacers like Donald, Pollock, Ntini, Steyn, etc. As a batsman, he is damn good but Sobers was definitely much better, both in terms of avgs and pure batting ability. As a fielder, I rate Sobers better too.

 

To me, an all-rounder is someone who can win games in both disciplines; it's not merely about being super-consistent in both as Kallis was. Hence, I will put Sobers > Kallis, but also other impact players such as Keith Miller and peak Botham above Kallis.

Very good and sound analysis appreciate