Kallis: I don’t miss playing for the Proteas

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Cricket365
April 4, 2015

Former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis is quite happy being retired, and says he doesn't miss playing international cricket, though he does miss the banter and camaraderie with team-mates.

Kallis retired from Tests at the end of 2013, and has since played in the IPL for Kolkata, and is now their mentor, and has also played in the Big Bash League. He did think of trying to make the Proteas' World Cup squad, but it was a bridge too far.

Kallis told Sky Sports: "I don't miss too much to be honest. I had a good run and I feel I have retired at the right time.

"Maybe it is one thing, the dressing room time amongst the guys but I certainly don't miss anything from cricket point of view.

"I have been really proud to represent my country for 19 years and look back at it with a lot of pride."

Aside from playing golf and rescuing rhinos with best mate Mark Boucher, Kallis has been spending his retirement setting up a charity that aims to get kids into to cricket-focused schools at a young age.

He said: "I have got a foundation that I run back home called ‘The Jacques Kallis Foundation’.

"It helps talented young cricketers to get to top schools throughout the country and give them an opportunity to live their dream.

"Basically to give them a life they wouldn't have had if not for the foundation.

"It is nice I could give something back to the game. I would like to be remembered as someone who has given something back to the game rather than stats."

Kallis has always dismissed statistics, and he added: "To be honest, winning the game for whatever side I played for is what drives me. Stats certainly don't drive me. I hated losing and wanted to win.

"Whatever side I was playing for, I tried to make the best call at that time for me as an individual and play in the best way I can in that situation in order to win the game."

Kallis went on to say that while England were in a bad place at the moment, having dropped out of the World Cup in the group stage, he felt the Test side was a different beast, and people should not assume the Ashes will go to Australia.

He continued: "England have always played well in South Africa and you got to play some good cricket to beat them.

"People are writing them off at the moment. But I think the Test side is a very different side as compared to their One-Day side.

"I think It will be a tough Ashes series. England need to really play well if they want to win it. When England come to South Africa it is still the same.

"England need to be at the top of their game but the game and players changes so quickly that could be very different by the time Ashes happens.

"There is still a lot of cricket before that. I am not going to predict too much. I will wait a little bit longer before saying who is going to come at top."