Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has identified the greatest batsman and all-around player in cricket history. Lee has long held the opinion that Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman to have ever played the game, but he saves his greatest regard for Jacques Kallis of South Africa when it comes to overall cricket prowess across all formats and disciplines.
Throughout his incredible international career, which saw him take over 700 wickets, Lee faced Tendulkar multiple times and saw Kallis’s performance in a variety of ways. His perspective highlights the difference between exceptional batting skill and the more all-encompassing competence required to be a successful full-fledged cricket player.
“I’ve always maintained that I believe Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman in history. However, Jacques Kallis is the greatest cricket player. He has the world’s best numbers. His statistics don’t lie if you look at them. Speaking on the BeerBiceps podcast, Lee remarked, “He’s amazing.”
Brett Lee recalls playing with Kallis.
Brett Lee had a great deal of respect for Kallis after seeing him up close as an opponent and then sharing the dressing room with him during the IPL. While Kallis played for the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011 to 2014, Lee was a member from 2011 to 2013. “But to be alongside as a teammate and to watch him prepare for a game, his heart rate was about 30 beats per minute before going out to bat as he was chilled out.” “So at ease,” Lee said.
The whole record of Kallis in all formats
Brett Lee assessment of Kallis’s whole skill set is supported by his record in international cricket. In Test cricket, the South African all-rounder amassed 13,289 runs and 45 hundreds at an amazing batting average of 55.37.
Apart from his batting prowess, Kallis grabbed 292 wickets at an average of 32.65 and completed 200 catches in the longest format. His ODI statistics—17 hundreds, 273 wickets at an average of 31.79, and 11,579 runs at an average of 44.36—further demonstrate his versatility.
