![\"London](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2228691185.jpg\")
\n\t\tFormer England bowler Steven Finn (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tFormer England bowler Steven Finn (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
England\u2019s three-time Ashes winner Steven Finn has hailed Jacques Kallis as the \u2018greatest cricketer of all time\u2019 ahead of India legend Sachin Tendulkar.<\/p>\n
Tendulkar\u2019s tally of 15,921 Test runs is yet to be beaten, although current England star Joe Root continues to eat into that record<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the words of ESPNcricinfo<\/a>, Tendulkar was \u2018the most complete batter of his time, the most prolific run-maker of all time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon the game has ever known.\u2019<\/p>\n Tendulkar scored a remarkable 51 centuries in Test cricket, with a further 49 in one-day internationals taking his overall hundred tally to exact 100.<\/p>\n Kallis made 62 centuries in international cricket but, unlike Tendulkar, was an incredible bowler as one of the best all-rounders ever to play the game.<\/p>\n The South African great took just shy of 300 wickets in Tests and a further 285 scalps in white-ball cricket. Kallis is also one of the best close fielders in history, taking 200-plus catches in Tests alone.<\/p>\n Former England quick Finn played against Kallis during a 2012 Test series in which South Africa<\/a> emerged triumphant to rise to No. 1 in the ICC world rankings.<\/p>\n \t\t Despite coming towards the end of a brilliant international career that started in 1995, Kallis was the fourth-leading runscorer in the series after scoring 182 not out in the opening Test and chipped in with some key wickets.<\/p>\n Finn did enjoy some success against the South African, however, dismissing him twice in the same Lord\u2019s Test during that series.<\/p>\n In his new book, The Ashes Files: My Pride and Pain in Cricket\u2019s Most Intense Series<\/a>, Finn named Kallis as the \u2018greatest cricket of all time\u2019 in a somewhat throwaway comment when looking back to the 2012 series.<\/p>\n Asked to elaborate in an exclusive interview with Metro, Finn said: \u2018Well, I think firstly it\u2019s Kallis\u2019 longevity as a cricket. To play that makes games and do that well as an all-rounder has to be respected.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tJacques Kallis, the numbers\t\t\t<\/p>\n TESTS<\/p>\n Matches: 166<\/p>\n Runs: 13,289 Wickets: 292 ODIs<\/p>\n Matches: 328<\/p>\n Runs: 11,558 Wickets: 273 \u2018I think when you look at it and the sheer numbers he produced, he has almost the weight of runs and a better average than Sachin Tendulkar with the bar, and the bowling average of Zaheer Khan with the ball.<\/p>\n \u2018And then he caught absolutely everything at second slip with those massive pack of bucket hands.<\/p>\n \u2018So, yeah, you have to look at him as the complete package. It\u2019s very hard to look beyond him given the affect he could have with bat and ball.<\/p>\n \u2018I think you\u2019ll be hard pressed to find another player who has matches those numbers as consistently over the course of an entire career. That would be my reasoning for making that call.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Another former England cricketer, Michael Vaughan<\/a>, rates Kallis as the second-best in history behind Australia<\/a> legend Shane Warne<\/a>.<\/p>\n Vaughan told BBC Sport<\/a>: \u2018Jacques Kallis batted at three and four throughout his career in all forms of the game and averaged 50. He stood at second slip and bowled 85mph.<\/p>\n \u2018The best cricketer I\u2019ve seen is Shane Warne \u2013 he\u2019d be number one pick in my all-time world XI \u2013 but Jacques Kallis would be a close second.\u2019<\/p>\n One of Australia\u2019s greatest players, Ricky Ponting, is adamant Kallis is the \u2018best cricketer to ever play the game\u2019 and the \u2018most underrated\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018Jacques Kallis is the best cricketer who has ever played. I don\u2019t care I don\u2019t care about everybody else,\u2019 Ponting said on The Howie Games podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Jacques is the full stop for me. Thirteen thousand runs \u2013 44 or 45 Test centuries and 300 wickets. He had an amazing career.<\/p>\n \u2018You can take 300 Test wickets, and you can score 45 Test centuries but to do both feats at the same time is amazing. Jacques did both.<\/p>\n \u2018I think he\u2019s the best and the most underrated cricketer ever.\u2019<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"South](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-459685631.jpg\")
\n\t\tSouth Africa legend Jacques Kallis (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
Average: 55.37
Hundreds: 45
Fifties: 58
Highest score: 224<\/p>\n
Average: 32.65
Economy rate: 2.82
Best figures: 9\/92<\/p>\n
Average: 44.36
Hundreds: 17
Fifties: 87
Highest score: 139<\/p>\n
Average: 31.79
Economy rate: 4.84
Best figures: 5\/30<\/p>\n![\"International](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-583585666.jpg\")
\n\t\tFinn dismissed Kallis twice in a Test match in 2012 (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
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