According to the legendary South Africa cricketer Jacques Kallis, Marco Jansen’s recent batting progress would help him establish himself as one of the top all-rounders in contemporary cricket.
Jansen reaffirmed his developing credentials as a strong batsman, striking rapid fifties in the second Test against India in Guwahati and in the first ODI at Ranchi on Sunday.
“He’s had a massive year, hasn’t he? He’s always had the potential. It was just a matter of figuring his game out. He’s obviously figured it out now and is getting a good balance,” said Kallis during an interaction facilitated by SA20 on Tuesday.
“He’s always been magnificent with the ball. Perhaps in previous years, he didn’t quite fulfil his talent with the bat. He’s certainly turned that around now. He’s a premium all-rounder now. I think he’s going to play a massive role in the SA20,” he added.
Apart from his successes with the bat, Jansen also grabbed 12 wickets across two Tests against India, helping SA blank the hosts 2-0.
“They (Sunrisers Eastern Cape) might even be able to use him in different roles, not only down the order. He’s good enough to even go up the order a few times. It’s an odd game to surprise the opposition. For me, he’s going to be one of the standout all-rounders,” said Kallis.
Kallis, who scored 13,289 runs from 166 Tests with 45 hundreds at an average of 55.37, banked his hope on Corbin Bosch to emerge as a handy performer with both ball and bat.
Bosch gave a glimpse of his skills by smashing a 67 and collecting two wickets against India in the Ranchi ODI.
“I first laid eyes on him a few years ago, I always thought he had something special. It’s taken a while for him to break through. But thankfully, he’s come through. He’s gained confidence. He bowls in the 140s and hits it really hard.
“He’s the type of guy who can play different roles. He’s good enough to go anywhere in the order. So I’m very happy to see him coming through.”
Kallis felt that the fourth edition of the SA20, starting on December 26, will stand as a useful preparation for South Africans ahead of next year’s ICC T20 World Cup..
“Yeah, I think it’s going to play a big role. I don’t think it’ll make the guys play any harder or anything like that, because the guys would have put the 100 percent effort in, in any case. But I do think it’s fantastic preparation, looking forward to that World Cup.
“You know, a few guys perhaps, who are on the fringe, if they have a good performance in this tournament, you know, might get a look in and get into the squads.”
Kallis has little doubt that the SA20 has ticked several boxes in the last four years, particularly in uncovering some young talent.
“I think what the IPL did for Indian cricket, we were hoping that a similar tournament would take off in South Africa a lot earlier. But now Graeme (Smith) got this tournament going four years ago and I think you can see where it’s taken South African cricket.
“These young guys are playing in front of big crowds and in pressure situations and that can only help these guys fast forward their careers, which is exactly what’s happened.
“These guys are playing under good coaches, playing with some world-class players, learning and feeding off them. So, that can only bode well for South African cricket as we’ve seen in the results, not only in white ball cricket, but in the longer formats as well.”
