Retired South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis would not rate Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman he has played against but said the Indian legend has “tremendously” helped in taking the game forward by playing with the right spirit throughout his illustrious career.
“He (Tendulkar) has done a tremendous amount for world cricket and for taking it forward. He played the game hard but always in the right spirit,” Kallis said in the question and answer session as part of the Newlands 10th annual New Year’s address here on Sunday.
“To achieve what he (Tendulkar) achieved is incredible. I enjoyed my battles against him. I always said I will play this game hard but in the right spirit, that I can (leave aside) the game when I am in a country and have a beer with them. That’s the way he played it (too),” Kallis, who retired from Test cricket last December, was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.
Kallis picked West Indian Brian lara as the best batsman he has ever played against. Asked who’re his toughest opponents, Kallis said, “Seamer: Wasim Akram. He had the ability to swing the ball both ways. Spinner: Shane Warne. He controlled the game, he attacked, defended. Batsman: Brian lara.”
The 39-year-old Kallis was also not unduly worried about the BCCI exercising most of the administrative and financial control in world cricket, saying the Indian Board had been doing so for some time. “I don’t think anyone really knows if it’s a good or a bad thing. We’re going to have to wait and see. If we’re brutally honest, the BCCI has had a lot of power over the game for some time, so I don’t think it’s really going to change much. My only concern is that they make decision in the best interests of cricket and not only in the best interests of own cricket, and I think they will do that,” said Kallis.
Kallis said his only remaining goal was to win the 2015 World Cup. “I want to be part of a team that wins the World Cup. That’s something that’s missing on my CV. If I didn’t believe we could do it, I would not stick around for it. If I did not believe I could make a difference, I wouldn’t do it,” he said.