Kallis in light training (15 June 1999)

15 June 1999

Kallis in light training

Trevor Chesterfield

MANCHESTER (England) - On the day Bob Woolmer decided he was no longer interested in the England coaching job and the World Cup knock-out stages, Jacques Kallis found his appetite for bowling again in the nets down the road from here at Edgbaston.

Not that the two should be linked, just that Woolmer wants time off to be with his family and a little R&R before thinking about his next coaching plans.

Yesterday, however, he was casting his 'fatherly' eye over the men he has brought through the system, especially the all-rounder Kallis along with Lance Klusener and Shaun Pollock and Herschelle Gibbs. Special talent which needs nursing through the hard times.

Woolmer has also confirmed what has been known for the last 24 hours, but it needed the national coach to support the suspicions. Kallis was now fit enough to have a 'light bowl' in the nets and would be given a more solid work out today in preparation for the return game against Australia.

Which means that the side for the semi-final tomorrow is likely to be the one which has been given the selectors' stamp of approval and has been so successful im all but two games.

There was special emphasis on what is the most crucial match of South Africa 's World Cup '99 programme: the semi-final against an improving Australia team who have started to emerge and find their spirit for yet another scrap of the two Southern Hemisphere giants. Both are now equal second favourites at 7/2 while New Zealand are 10/1 and Pakistan favourites at 8/5.

The right input from Kallis, however, is what Woolmer and the skipper Hansie Cronje are hoping to see tomorrow at Edgbaston which has a history more favourable to South Africa since the country's readmission than has been the case of Headingley.

While Pollock, Allan Donald and Steve Elworthy have all played their role in this tournament, the Kallis factor has been more important because of his batting flair in the top four.

While Daryll Cullinan batted at three and did a particularly good job against Shane Warne at Headingley, laying the ghosts which have taunted his skills and haunted his ability to play spin, but for his injury Kallis would have filled in at this spot.

Kallis has long been recognised, even at 23, as being someone with a special talent. It came through in England a year ago and in the Test and limited-overs series against the West Indies and New Zealand. Four years ago in Colombo on the eve of the South Africa under/24 tour of Sri Lanka Woolmer enthused about the bowling talents of Kallis. We all knew that Pollock and Klusener could bowl a bit. But Kallis, he confided, had the ability to bowl as fast as anyone in the side.

Thus on a hot August day at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium was unveiled South Africa's fourth seamer: all of 19 and a willing as any on a hot, steaming day to impress he picked up four wickets. Only poor umpiring cost him a century. Now Australia's captain Steve Waugh has admitted how much South Africa missed Kallis. South Africa's success this tournament has been built around the strength of the all-rounders and how they have pulled the side through some rough patches.

Umpires for the two semi-finals are Darrell Hair and Peter Willey for the New Zealand game against Pakistan at Old Trafford and for South Africa against Australia, David Shepherd and Srinivas Venkataraghavan.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News