All-round contribution of Kallis holds key to South Africa's dreams

Prolific run-scorer and wicket-taker will be crucial to hosts' hopes of breaking Australian dominance of event that never fails to excite

As the first day's play of the 1999 Boxing Day Test between England and South Africa in Durban trickled along with Nasser Hussain's team inching their way towards a lowly close of play score of 135 for 2, one South African in particular continued running up to the stumps, oblivious to the crowd's restlessness, and tried to extract something out of a lifeless pitch. It typified the focus of one Jacques Kallis that has made the 27-year-old the world's premier all-rounder.

A couple of years ago Clive Rice, the celebrated former national captain and familiar face at Nottingham over many seasons, produced one of the classic backhanded comments of all time. "There's not much going on in Jacques Kallis' head. He doesn't allow himself to get distracted when he bats and sledging doesn't affect him."

Kallis simply shrugged off the "compliment", preferring to put a nightmarish start to his Test career behind him – he was out for one against England on his debut and after eight innings had an average of 7.13 – and to develop into a run-making machine. Oh yes, and a wicket-taking one too, not to mention one boasting one of the safest pair of hands of anyone in the slip cordon.

Recently, the South African minister of sport, Ngconde Balfour, raised the ire of the country's cricket fans when he was quoted as saying: "Who is Jacques Kallis? Jacques Kallis means nothing to me. People want to go to watch players like Makhaya Ntini," in clear reference to his frustration at the lack of non-whites in the side.

Typically, Kallis responded by saying: "It is disappointing, particularly coming from the sports minister who is supposed to support the side. But I won't fret over it." And he hasn't. In taking his number of one-day international appearances to 168, the burly Capetonian has amassed 5,902 runs at an average of 44.04, including eight hundreds and 42 fifties. With the ball he has sent 164 batsmen packing (averaging 29.73), while those hands, which pass as buckets, have scooped 73 catches. As a Test player he averages 50.40 with the bat and is nearing 5,000 runs, along with 137 wickets. A man with a mission.

That mission continues during the World Cup, his third, and if Australia have a psychological edge over South Africa, as Shane Warne claimed last week, Kallis won't mind. The only thing that matters is that this committed team man continues to show the world why he belongs in everyone's Best XI. In fact, as they go about their preparations, the likelihood is that the Australians will know the threat Kallis holds.

Probably more suited to the Test arena, where he has the ability to hold his concentration for hours at the crease, as well as plugging away with away swingers that arrive at the batsman's end quicker than expected, Kallis has worked hard at the limited-overs format.

Not unlike England's Michael Vaughan, who was once a dour opening bat, but who has developed into a freer-scoring stroke-player, Kallis has adapted to the more frenetic pace and his cover drive is a photographer's dream. And, contrary to what Rice said all those seasons back, he is a thinker. You won't necessarily hear him chattering away behind the wicket and he's not a natural speaker.

However, when he does talk, people sit up and listen. Understandably protective of the all-rounders' brotherhood, Kallis puts New Zealand's Chris Cairns up there with the very best. "You won't find many better than him. When he's free of injuries and he's in the mood, like he was in Kenya in the ICC knock-out trophy [in 2000].

"It could be anything with him. He will suddenly take two or three quick wickets, or he'll smash a 60 or 70 in 40-odd balls." As for Australia, he singles out Adam Gilchrist. "You can probably call him an all-rounder, the whole world knows what he can do with the bat. Bring on any attack and he can destroy their confidence. He's a pretty decent keeper as well, a dream player."

Pakistan's Wasim Akram rates a mention too. "He's probably not done enough justice to his batting. But he's got a Test double hundred. As a bowler you know how good he is."

However, understandably, Kallis feels that South Africa have the edge in the all-round department, a strength that could see them usurp those Aussies who have denied them so often in the past. "Shaun [Pollock] is a committed all-rounder, he bats low in the order and that gives us so much depth. In fact, there is no dearth of all-rounders in the team. There is Nicky Boje who is quite handy, and like Gilchrist, you could call Mark Boucher an all-rounder. And then there's Lance Klusener," whose bludgeoning tactics with the bat carried South Africa to within one run of the 1999 World Cup final, his exploits earning him man of the series.

However, there is plenty of smart money on Kallis being named the player of the 2002 World Cup. He begins probably at his favoured No 3 in the order, against West Indies on his home ground of Newlands next Sunday. Ahead of him in the batting are provincial team-mates Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten. There's much expectancy in these parts, there always is. That builds immense pressure. If one man has the ability to block out all that's going on around him it is Kallis. And, should he succeed, Minister Balfour may just know the name Jacques Kallis all too well come 23 March.