Ricky Ponting ranks this player above all as cricket’s most talented

Ricky Ponting (Pic: AFP)

Former Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has hailed Jacques Kallis, the renowned all-rounder from South Africa, as the 'most talented player' he has ever witnessed, describing him as 'one of the most underrated players in cricket history'.

Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket on Saturday, Ponting emphasized Kallis's exceptional all-round abilities and remarkable statistics. "I would assert that Jacques Kallis is the most talented player I have ever seen, given his comprehensive skill set. I'm not merely referring to his prowess as a batsman; I'm talking about him as an exceptional cricketer overall. Kallis amassed 44 or 45 Test centuries and took around 300 wickets, if not more, while also boasting an outstanding record in catching during Test matches," Ponting remarked.

The Australian icon noted that despite Kallis's impressive accolades, he remains somewhat overlooked in discussions of all-time greats. "He is arguably one of the most underrated players to have graced the game. While I acknowledge that he receives recognition, few engage in conversations that regard him as one of the all-time legends, which, in my opinion, he undoubtedly is," Ponting added.

Kallis's illustrious Test career spanned from 1995 to 2013, during which he played 166 matches, accumulating 13,289 runs at an average of 55.37, including 45 centuries and 58 fifties across 280 innings, with a highest score of 224. He remains the leading Test run-scorer for South Africa and ranks third overall, following Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs in 168 Tests) and Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs in 200 Tests).

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In addition to his batting feats, Kallis claimed 292 wickets at an average of 32.65, with his best bowling figures being 6/54. He achieved five five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, placing him as the seventh-highest wicket-taker for South Africa, behind Dale Steyn (439 wickets in 93 Tests).

Across 328 One Day Internationals (ODIs) from 1996 to 2014, Kallis scored 11,579 runs at an average of 44.36, with 17 centuries and 86 fifties, his highest score being 139. He was the leading run-scorer for the Proteas in ODIs and ranks eighth overall, with Sachin Tendulkar at the pinnacle (18,426 runs in 463 matches).

In ODIs, Kallis also secured 273 wickets at an average of 31.79, boasting a best of 5/30 and achieving five five-wicket hauls in the format. He ranks as the second-highest wicket-taker for South Africa in ODIs, trailing only Shaun Pollock (387 wickets in 294 matches).

In T20 internationals, Kallis played 25 matches, scoring 666 runs at an average of 35.05 and a strike rate of 119.35, including five fifties. He took 12 wickets at an average of 27.75, with best figures of 4/15.

With a remarkable total of 25,534 runs in 519 international matches, featuring 62 centuries and 149 fifties, Kallis ranks as the sixth-highest run-scorer in the history of international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar holds the top spot with 34,357 runs in 664 matches, while Kallis's 577 wickets are the fifth-highest for South Africa across all formats.

(With agency inputs)