Cricket
Woolmer predicted the greatness of Kallis─── MORGAN PIEK 14:14 Mon, 24 Aug 2020
The VKB Knight coach and Proteas great, Allan Donald, says it comes as no surprise that Jacques Kallis has become the latest South African to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
Over the weekend the all-rounder became the fourth South African to receive recognition for his contribution to the sport at the highest level after Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards and Donald.
Kallis has the unique distinction of scoring over 11 000 runs and taking 250 wickets in both Test and One-Day International cricket.
Donald told OFM Sport that he remembers when the late Bob Woolmer predicted that Kallis would be one of the best cricketers the world has ever seen.
“It is amazing to have Jacques Kallis in the ICC Hall of Fame.
“I will never forget the worlds of Bob Woolmer many years ago when he came to an afternoon practice when the South African team was at Newlands.
“He had a session that morning with this young kid called Jacques Kallis.
“He came to training and we were sort of getting ready and getting spiked up to go onto the field, and we were walking to the middle of the arena at the beautiful Newlands cricket ground, and he said to me that he worked with this kid called Jacques Kallis at Wynberg Boys’ High.
“He said you mark my words, this kids is going to become one of the greatest cricketers this world has ever seen, and he is simply that good.
“Well, those are huge words from a coach to be able to label a young guy that good at an early age, and boy what he not wrong.”
Donald went on to add that South Africa is very fortunate to have had a player of Kallis’ calibre.
“We were incredibly fortunate to have a guy to fulfill a double-role the way he did. He was essentially two players in one, and that is something that is very hard to replace.
“Just his incredible ability to concentrate for so long and not to be distracted by any outside influences, as the Aussies tried in the first Test match in Melbourne in 1997.
“He got a magnificent hundred to draw the Test in Melbourne, and it was just awesome.
“We knew straight away at that a mega-star was born.
“To have played for such a long time with he was just out of this world.”
Donald was inducted into the Hall of Fame in July of 2019.
@MorganPiek OFM Sport
