JACQUES Kallis gave the Proteas selectors another nudge this week as he pursues his goal of playing in this year’s World T20 Championship.
Kallis, who has been considered surplus to South Africa’s T20 needs since May 2010, has made it clear he intends to push for selection into SA’s squad for Sri Lanka, in September.
What lends weight to his case is that he has managed to back that intention up with both bat and ball.
In a T20 international played in his honour against India two weeks ago, Kallis made a successful international return to the shortest format of the game by making 61 off 42 balls. SA went on to win the rain-affected clash, albeit fortunately, by 11 runs.
This week he impressed with the ball in hand, a discipline he seems to be enjoying more with every game, despite approaching the less favourable side of 36.
Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday, Kallis made a run-a-ball 22 against Royal Challengers Bangalore and then took two for seven runs in two overs with the new ball. One of those wickets was that of destructive West Indian opener Chris Gayle, who was caught off Kallis’s bowling for only two runs trying to execute a pull.
Length was the key in that dismissal and Kallis has the uncanny ability to sum conditions up rather swiftly and formulate a strategy.
His heavy-ball bouncer provides added variation to his swing and changes in pace.
Kallis readily admits he has been working to improve his T20 skills in recent years.
The perception is that he is too correct to play this format of the game but the statistics suggest otherwise.
His T20 international strike-rate of 122.17 is better than those of AB de Villiers (119.92) and Hashim Amla (109.52) and only slightly less than that of JP Duminy’s (126.63).
Cricketer Kallis wants all forms of the game
JACQUES Kallis gave the Proteas selectors another nudge this week as he pursues his goal of playing in this year’s World T20 Championship.
Kallis, who has been considered surplus to South Africa’s T20 needs since May 2010, has made it clear he intends to push for selection into SA’s squad for Sri Lanka, in September.
What lends weight to his case is that he has managed to back that intention up with both bat and ball.
In a T20 international played in his honour against India two weeks ago, Kallis made a successful international return to the shortest format of the game by making 61 off 42 balls. SA went on to win the rain-affected clash, albeit fortunately, by 11 runs.
This week he impressed with the ball in hand, a discipline he seems to be enjoying more with every game, despite approaching the less favourable side of 36.
Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday, Kallis made a run-a-ball 22 against Royal Challengers Bangalore and then took two for seven runs in two overs with the new ball. One of those wickets was that of destructive West Indian opener Chris Gayle, who was caught off Kallis’s bowling for only two runs trying to execute a pull.
Length was the key in that dismissal and Kallis has the uncanny ability to sum conditions up rather swiftly and formulate a strategy.
His heavy-ball bouncer provides added variation to his swing and changes in pace.
Kallis readily admits he has been working to improve his T20 skills in recent years.
The perception is that he is too correct to play this format of the game but the statistics suggest otherwise.
His T20 international strike-rate of 122.17 is better than those of AB de Villiers (119.92) and Hashim Amla (109.52) and only slightly less than that of JP Duminy’s (126.63).
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