Kallis launches scholarship for promising young players

Kallis will have his benefit year in 2005 © Getty Images

Jacques Kallis has announced that he will launch a scholarship foundation in his benefit year in 2005, to provide opportunities to gifted young cricketers in South Africa. He is the first South African cricketer to introduce an initiative of this kind.

The scheme, which is called the Jacques Kallis Scholarship Foundation, will invest in the cricketing talent of the future, with a percentage of the proceeds from Kallis' benefit events being allocated to it. "Cricket has given me so many great opportunities and it has always been one of my ambitions to put something back into the game," said Kallis in a press release. "What better way than to search out the stars of tomorrow and create opportunities for them to reach their cricketing ambitions. Hopefully many will go onto to become household names in the future."

The Scholarship Foundation will identify and place deserving young cricketers in "traditional" South African cricketing schools. These schools are Kallis' "Alma Mater" Wynberg Boys High in Cape Town, Selborne College in East London, Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria Boys High in Pretoria.

The Jacques Kallis benefit year will comprise several events across the month of September. These include black tie functions, benefit one-day matches and a Jacques Kallis Golf Challenge.

Kallis, who made his debut for Western Province in 1993 and South Africa in 1995, averages 56 with the bat and 31 with the ball in Test matches, and 45 with the bat and 31 with the ball in ODIs.