I’m happy with my game at the moment: Kallis
abu dhabi — You can never take cricket out of a cricketer even if he has retired from the game. He may have called time on an illustrious 18-year career after the Boxing Day Test last year against India. But Jacques Kallis’ heart and mind is still with cricket.
The all-rounder, who is in the pantheon of legends, took a welldeserved break after his farewell Test series against India at home. But Kallis, who scored 115 in that final Test which the Proteas won, still kept in touch with the game by practicing with his provincial side Cape Town. Clearly, there can be no better testament of commitment. And with the IPL round the corner, the 38-year-old is looking fitter than ever and raring to go.
Kallis, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Friday night, had his first practice session with the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday. He was the first in the nets after which he had a session with the bowling machine. He had three stints in all and was the last to leave.
“The last game that I played was my last Test match which was on 26th of December. I have had plenty of nets and bowled in the Cape Town nets and I’m hitting the ball as well as I have. And I’m happy with my game at the moment,” Kallis said after KKR’s practice session at the Shaikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium’s Oval 1 on Saturday.
About his long stint in the nets, Kallis said it was more about adapting from the bouncy wickets in South Africa to the sub-continental type of surfaces in the UAE.
“It is all about putting the hard work in. Obviously, I spent a bit of time batting on South African surfaces. So, it is just a matter of getting used to the slower, lower surfaces here. But other that, I feel pretty good,” he said.
Kallis is on the threshold of a record in the IPL and is 10 games shy of 100 appearances in the IPL. He has logged 2276 runs so far with 61 wickets in six seasons.
Kallis said that the break after his retirement did him a world of good and added that he was in a good space, mentally and physically.
“I took a complete break. So, on the mental side, I’m nice and fresh and ready and raring to go. On the physical side, I have put in a lot time in the gym and the nets so, as far as fitness wise and mental wise, I’m in good a space as I’ve ever been,” said Kallis.
Kallis also has the advantage of having played here in the UAE before. He returned from a threemonth sabbatical after the IPL last season for the Test series against Pakistan in October last year.
“The conditions are similar to what they are in India. So, it is pretty much the sub-continental lengths and from a batting point of view, it is like batting in the sub-continent. The temperatures are actually not that hot at the moment. It is pleasant which is nice. All in all, the conditions are going to pretty decent for playing,” he said.
Kallis, who joined KKR for the 2011after his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, was pleased with the new squad. KKR have gone for an overhaul, retaining only skipper Gautam Gambhir and spinner Sunil Narine. He was bought back by KKR at the 2014 IPL Player Auction.
“We are a nice side. I think we are well balanced. We can play on all types of wickets. We have some good quick bowlers, some really good spinners. From the batting point of view, we have guys who can hold the innings together and we have guys who can hit it out of the park. So, from the balance point of view, we are probably better than we were over the last three years. I think we have more options,” he said.
Kallis will be expected to play a massive role in KKR’s campaign as they hunt for a second title after winning it in 2012.
“Again, it will depend on the situation of the game and who you are batting with. Obviously, in T20 cricket, you have to be a little bit more aggressive. There is a pattern and a way to play this game and there are going to be days when I have to bat through and there are going to be days when I have to walk in and hit it out of the park from ball one. So, I’m looking forward to those challenges. I’ve always enjoyed this format of the game. It allows me to free up a bit and play with a little bit more freedom,” Kallis said.
And he still enjoys being an allrounder. “I’m still working hard on the bowling side of it. I enjoy doing both. I can’t see myself ever playing this game just as a batter. It will be a sad day if it does happen. But I don’t think I can ever do that,” he said.