“He’s not talked about very much” - Ricky Ponting picks former RCB & KKR star as best cricketer ever 

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting picked South African legend Jacques Kallis as the greatest cricketer of all time, thanks to his incredible all-round numbers. Kallis enjoyed a stellar two-decade international career from 1995 to 2014, helping South Africa become a dominant force in world cricket.

The 49-year-old is the sixth leading run-scorer of all time across formats with 25,534 runs, including 62 centuries in 519 matches. Apart from the remarkable batting numbers, Kallis also finished with 557 wickets, including 250+ wickets each in Tests and ODIs.

When asked about the greatest cricketer he has seen on the Howie Games podcast, Ponting responded (via News18):

"Jacques Kallis is the best cricketer that’s ever played. I think he’s the best and the most underrated because he’s not talked about very much at all. Probably because of his personality and his character. He’s not out there. He’s low-key, yeah. Hasn’t done much media work. So, he’s sort of one of those forgotten-about ones a little bit."

He added:

"I don’t care. I don’t care about all the others. Full stop. 13,000 runs. 44 or 45 Test hundreds. And 300 wickets. Either one of those careers is outstanding. You can take 300 Test wickets every day of the week, and you take 45 Tests 100s. He’s got them both. He was just a born cricketer. Unorthodox in the slips, didn’t drop anything in the slips, had a sort of funny technique, caught everything."

Kallis is the only South African cricketer to have scored over 10,000 runs in Tests and ODIs. He is third all-time in Tests with 13,289 runs at an incredible average of 55.37 with 45 centuries, along with 292 wickets with the ball.

The Protea all-rounder also enjoyed an excellent IPL career, playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), between 2008 and 2014. Kallis finished with 2,427 runs and 65 wickets in 98 outings, including winning two titles with KKR in 2012 and 2014.

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Jacques Kallis helped South Africa win their only ICC trophy

Kallis' all-round prowess was on full display in the 1998 Champions Trophy [Credit: Getty]

South Africa and ICC tournaments heartbreak has been a common theme in cricket history. Yet, Jacques Kallis was the start in their lone ICC title in the 1998 Champions Trophy.

The champion all-rounder led the team in runs and wickets with 164 and eight in three matches. More importantly, Kallis' clutch gene was on full display in the semi-final and final against Sri Lanka and the West Indies, respectively.

The right-hander scored a breathtaking 113* off 100 deliveries in the semi-final to help South Africa post a massive 240/7 in a 39-over contest. In the finale, Kallis picked up five wickets with the ball and scored a crucial 37 to help South Africa successfully chase down 246 with four wickets in hand.

Kallis was adjudged the Player of the Tournament as the Proteas won their first and only ICC trophy to date.