A Protea amongst the Silver Ferns

By Maiken Kruger

In the first of a new series of guest posts from both new and established bloggers, a close South African friend talks about supporting her team from afar – enjoy...

At the time of writing we are two tests down in a three test series between the Proteas and the Black Caps in New Zealand, and I’m watching the weather forecast for Wellington with increasing foreboding ahead of the third test.

Living in a country different to the one where your loyalties lay means doing what you can to get your fix of your favourite team playing your favourite sport. Weather interruptions are extremely unwelcome; especially when I’m unsure where my next South African cricket fix will come from.

Why not Kallis?

“…surely our trio (Lara, Ponting and Tendulkar) should be a quartet? For all his feats and constancy, Jacques Kallis tends to slip under the radar when it comes to idolatry…..Kallis commands more awe than affection”.                                                                                            
                            Rob Steen - ESPNCricinfo

“Tendulkar, Lara, Richards are cricketing royalty and so is Kallis - yet too often he is forgotten like Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh and, let's face it, Old Phil is pretty close to the top".                                                                                           
                            Mark Richardson - Herald on Sunday, 26/02/2012


When the red ink is marked against the score of J H Kallis for the final time and he bids farewell to our great game, his exalted place in cricketing history is guaranteed – but conjecture will remain about whose company he’ll enjoy near the summit. Surely even Kallis’ harshest critics cannot deny his unparalleled influence on South African cricket or the legacy he will leave the world game. Why is it that so many deny him his place amongst cricket’s modern batting greats?