Shame but I suppose all great careers come to an end. I have been fortunate enough to see him play a couple of times. He is spoken of in the same breath as Bradman and there can be no higher praise than that.
Sachin Tendulker Retires!
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Great great player ...
No question he'll be remembered as one of the all-time greats of the game.
I have watched quite a bit of him over the years, and watching Cricket will never be the same.
To the casual fan or someone who hasn't been following Cricket for long enough it's hard to remember him anything but a run accumulator. But in a weak Indian line up, he was the one batsmen who was capable of taking the game to any opponent. When he set his mind, he could take any bowler out of the attack before the tennis elbow happened. The battles he had against McGrath , Warne, Ambrose, Walsh, Akram and Younis will be memorable forever. It is not for nothing Alan Donald regards him as the best batsman he has ever bowled to. He started relying more on his defensive technique in the later part of his career. Even the later version of Tendulkar was supremely enjoyable. His innings in South Africa, in the last tour when he shielded Gambhir from a fiery Dale Steyn spell comes to mind.
I will miss him....i was even prepared to watch him scratch around for runs, if it meant i could still watch him live!!
To the casual fan or someone who hasn't been following Cricket for long enough it's hard to remember him anything but a run accumulator. But in a weak Indian line up, he was the one batsmen who was capable of taking the game to any opponent. When he set his mind, he could take any bowler out of the attack before the tennis elbow happened. The battles he had against McGrath , Warne, Ambrose, Walsh, Akram and Younis will be memorable forever. It is not for nothing Alan Donald regards him as the best batsman he has ever bowled to. He started relying more on his defensive technique in the later part of his career. Even the later version of Tendulkar was supremely enjoyable. His innings in South Africa, in the last tour when he shielded Gambhir from a fiery Dale Steyn spell comes to mind.
I will miss him....i was even prepared to watch him scratch around for runs, if it meant i could still watch him live!!
Well written Julian ... I think you're probably feeling how I will feel when Kallis retires.
Le Tallec
I had it in my head you were an Israeli? If so where did the interest in cricket come from ?
It is a real shame to me how the BCCI has influenced my attitude towards Indian cricket, and therefore their players. As a neutral fan I want them to get battered ( much the same as the Scots, Irish and Welsh view the England football team ). Having said that there wasn't much pleasure watching Tendulkar - one of the giants of the game - struggle and scratch against England last winter, somehow it looked undignified.
Born in South Africa mate.
Think Julian has provided a very good summary. Never quite as destructive as Lara but in his early years he was nearly unstoppable. His first tour of Australia where he hit 150 in, I think, the third test was just mesmerising.
Waugh, McGrath etc described him as the best since the Don which is hard to argue with. That said, I can't help thinking he declined after meeting the great man. Don apparently advised him to hit the ball along the ground - that way you can never be caught. From then on Tendulker became far more controlled and less intimidating. He lofted the ball naturally and looked less complete there-after.
Greatest player I've ever seen live. He's set records which will never be matched.
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Waugh, McGrath etc described him as the best since the Don which is hard to argue with. That said, I can't help thinking he declined after meeting the great man. Don apparently advised him to hit the ball along the ground - that way you can never be caught. From then on Tendulker became far more controlled and less intimidating. He lofted the ball naturally and looked less complete there-after.
Greatest player I've ever seen live. He's set records which will never be matched.
Sent from my HTC One XL
That's a very good observation actually. One I would agree with as well. I saw Lara live as well and in all honestly he's my favourite ever batsman (seen live anyway) - It's all a bit redundant really. Both were extraordinary and a pleasure to see.
Despite the fact that it's end of an era, it's probably the right time.
He's been amazing. That India team containing him, Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid was ridiculous. But, they all ran out of steam, as players do.
They have some amazing new guys coming through.
For me, modern cricket-wise, I'd place him 2nd behind The Don.
Kallis is another, wait till he retires, that bloke's stats are equally ridiculous.
He's been amazing. That India team containing him, Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid was ridiculous. But, they all ran out of steam, as players do.
They have some amazing new guys coming through.
For me, modern cricket-wise, I'd place him 2nd behind The Don.
Kallis is another, wait till he retires, that bloke's stats are equally ridiculous.
Kallis is another but, despite the stats, he won't be remembered in the vain of Sachin and Lara. He's simply not dominated - let alone destroyed - opposition attacks the way those guys did. He's scored big, great average but more in the style of Boycott rather than Botham.
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It's a bit harsh - unlike the other two, he wasn't as critical to the success of South Africa nor was he viewed as a god as he wasn't playing rugby or footy. He was a vital cog - and one of the greatest all-rounders ever - but if he struggled, there were other very good batsmen to carry the slack. His #s are fantastic, and I will miss seeing him once he retires. A truly special batsmen who was just consistently good.
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Don't sook mate.
I'm not questioning whether he's good or not and I already commented that his numbers are fantastic. But be that as it may he just doesn't take it to the opposition bowlers in a way that captures the public imagination. Certainly nowhere near the extent that Lara or Tendulker did.
A tremendous player no doubt and awesome all-rounder. As a batsman, though, at least a rung down from those two.
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It depends how you judge batters tbh mate ... Kallis took his time, bored the crap out of bowlers and was robotic in many of his innings. He didn't have the 'on-field' personality of a Tendulkar or Lara as a batter, but he did his job as well as both of 'em.
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Nah, don't agree with that mate. I think you're ignoring the very important element of psychology. Michael Clarke has been talking, in the lead up to the ashes, of how incredibly important momentum is in a test match.
Kallis makes runs - a lot of runs - and will put his side in a great position. But Sachin - and even more-so Lara - would come in and change the momentum of a match. A fielding team with momentum would suddenly find themselves on the back foot and never get it back.
That kind of ability cannot be overestimated in it's importance. This is why both these guys were so important to their teams. Bowlers and opposition captains have great respect for Jacques but feared Lara and Tendulker.
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I get it ...
I just looked at their Test stats ... and it's incredible how good Kallis' are relative to those two. Higher average, more likely to get a 50/100 per match than either etc ... So yes, he was not as psychologically imposing as those two, but I'll take what he offered to a team (especially when you gave him Amla & AB around him to dish out the psych courses!)
Kallis's stature will grow even more 10-15 years after he retires when his stats come into focus than the memories. One of the main reason Kallis is not being thought of in the same league (unfairly IMO) as the pantheon of all time greats is the lack of memorable all time great romantic moments. Tendulkar has numerous of those, so does Lara. Among all rounders Kapil has the 1983 world cup win, Imran Khan the 1992 world cup win.
I maybe wrong here as I have not followed Kallis career in that great detail but he does lack that awe inspiring "Gerrard in Istanbul" type moment.
I maybe wrong here as I have not followed Kallis career in that great detail but he does lack that awe inspiring "Gerrard in Istanbul" type moment.
I think we're saying similar things here. Not the same thing but related.
Some players have done things that cause you to fear them because you know they could suddenly just take the match away from you.
Kallis is certainly a great player but he doesn't carry that threat where others do.
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I remember when Freddie Flintoff retired and people were saying he and Kallis were the best all-rounders etc.
As much I as enjoyed Freddie's battling spirit and no mean ability, they shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence. Kallis is a beast.
As much I as enjoyed Freddie's battling spirit and no mean ability, they shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence. Kallis is a beast.
No mate, he's a fucking robot. I just wonder how long he can keep on going.
Flintoff was a far better though.
One thing about Kallis is his eyes don't seem to have deteriorated.
Where Lara started having trouble with the one nipping back in and Sachin had particular trouble with driving outside off, Kallis doesn't seem to have made any adjustments.
It may be that he doesn't play as flamboyant shots as the other two but he seems to have been blessed with tremendous hand-eye co-ordination - even now as he gets to the back end of his career.
Where Lara started having trouble with the one nipping back in and Sachin had particular trouble with driving outside off, Kallis doesn't seem to have made any adjustments.
It may be that he doesn't play as flamboyant shots as the other two but he seems to have been blessed with tremendous hand-eye co-ordination - even now as he gets to the back end of his career.
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I wish I could agree but some of his recent dismals have started to concern me - he's on the wane I think, which is understandable.