Jacques Kallis looking to take South Africa 'back to where they belong'
All-rounder not a fan of four-day Test cricket: "You still need your five days - I still believe it is the purest form"
Thursday 2 January 2020 17:11, UK
Jacques Kallis had no reservations about joining South Africa's coaching staff as he aims to help the Proteas get "back to where they belong".
Kallis, who has played more matches, taken more outfield catches and scored more runs and hundreds than any other South African, was appointed batting consultant shortly after former team-mate Graeme Smith accepted the role of interim director of cricket.
The Proteas broke a five-match losing streak in Tests with a 107-run victory over England in the series opener at Centurion and will now look to take a 2-0 lead by winning the second game in Cape Town from Friday, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 7.30am.
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"Once he [Graeme Smith] took over and everyone knew we were moving forward all the ex-players wanted to get involved," Kallis, who is working alongside head coach Mark Boucher, told Sky Sports.
"I was the first person to put my hand up and say, 'I'll gladly accept the job and get South African cricket back to where it belongs'. It's a long journey ahead but it's been a fun start, a great start.
"We are aware there is a lot of work to do but the guys are prepared to put the work in. People saw the players fighting [in the first Test] - the old South African fighting spirit is back.
"Bouchy [Boucher] is big on that - preparing well, knowing your roles. You know you have to be up for the fight in this format of the game."
Kallis has previously served as head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League but is now loving working in a Test environment.
"The red ball is nice as you can get stuck into the technical side and the mental side," said the 44-year-old. "White-ball cricket is more about 'let's see how hard we can hit it!'
"It's nice to do the finicky side of the game but I don't want to get too much into the technical side. I want to give the guys a freedom and a flair to play in the way they do.
Looking back on my career there were only 10 or 15 times I felt perfect when I walked out to bat so you are always trying to figure out something on the day and adapt.
"I haven't been in the system for a while so I am still getting to know the players and what makes them tick. I am not a guy that is going to change many things - Dean Elgar is not going to come out and bat right-handed - so I pretty much work with what the guys have got and tweak things.
"As long as every time you have a net session you have moved forward then we are making progress. To bat for the sake of batting doesn't work in this set-up - we're not into ticking boxes. You've got to try and improve and walk out of the nets having accomplished something."
Ben Stokes recently spoke about how his match-winning Ashes innings at Headingley would not have been possible without white-ball cricket.
Kallis - whose 45 Test centuries were backed up by 17 in one-day internationals - says the limited-overs formats have aided Test cricket but has warned young players that a sound defensive technique and temperament remain paramount in a format he hopes sticks at five days.
"The way guys bat these days, the shots they are playing - the game has definitely moved forward because of white-ball cricket, particularly T20," added Kallis, who played 519 international matches throughout his career.
"There is a place for T20 cricket in Test cricket, particularly if you are trying to take the game on, but there is still the old-school way of playing, especially on days one, two and three when there is still a bit there.
"You need the basic technique that you have to learn at a young age - a lot of kids want to come out and smack the ball, which is great, but you still need to stick around to reward yourself to be able to play those shots.
I wasn’t too much on hitting balls, it was how I felt on the day. If I felt good I would get out of the nets as I had the theory that you can only bat yourself into trouble!
"You have to have the defensive technique to even play T20 cricket - to understand balance and to be able to get into position to play those ramps and sweeps."
Asked whether he was in favour of four-day Test cricket, Kallis added: "No. You still need your five days - I still believe it is the purest form.
"The players still enjoy it and most players want to play five-day cricket. I wouldn't want to see it change."
Watch day one of the second Test between South Africa and England, in Cape Town, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30am on Friday.
