The Surfer

Jacques of all trades, and the master too

 Associated Press

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Jacques Kallis is an old dog who has learnt new tricks thanks to Twenty20 but blushes at Kevin Pietersen's claim that he's the best ever, writes Stephen Brenkley in the Independent. Sometime in the next few weeks when he takes his second wicket in the one-day series, he will become the only player to have scored 10,000 runs and taken 250 wickets in both Tests and one-dayers.

Today Kallis plays his 10th Twenty20 match for South Africa. It is a form of the game that many would have spurned to preserve their careers elsewhere. In his case T20 might not only have prolonged his career but embellished it. He has become a different type of cricketer, particularly as a batsman, though he has added new tricks to his muscular seam bowling to confound what is said about old dogs.

England tour of South Africa

Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo