Kallis refuses to reconsider vice-captaincy

Jacques Kallis: no turning back from decision to quit as vice-captain © AFP

Jacques Kallis has refused to reconsider his decision to quit as vice-captain of the Test side, after being controversially overlooked for South Africa's squad for next week's ICC World Twenty20. However, in a statement, Cricket South Africa insisted that Kallis remains committed to the future of his country's cricket.

Kallis's omission has overshadowed South Africa's preparations for the World Twenty20, which gets underway in Johannesburg on Sunday. Last month, his friend and team-mate Mark Boucher was called to a disciplinary hearing after speaking out against the decision.

CSA had asked Kallis, who is his country's leading scorer in Test history with 8347 runs from 106 matches, to change his mind about his resignation, but have now accepted that there is no turning back. "Jacques has now decided that he wants to concentrate on his own game," said the CSA chief executive, Gerald Majola, in a statement. "Our discussions were entirely cordial and constructive and it is only right that we accept his decision.

"When Jacques accepted the vice-captaincy two years ago at the start of Mickey Arthur's term as national coach," said Majola, "it was always on the basis that he would see how he enjoyed the extra responsibility of the position and that he would review it after a suitable period."

There had been some speculation in the South African media that Kallis would be called into the Twenty20 squad to replace the injured opener, Loots Bosman, but in the end the selectors opted for an extra seamer in Andre Nel. In a further twist, Bosman reacted furiously to his late omission, claiming that the coach, Mickey Arthur, had been "lying" about the severity of his back condition. Bosman has been called before a disciplinary hearing to explain his comments.

Kallis's reaction to his original omission had been more measured, but barely any less emotional. "Ideally I would like to play many more years for my country but this weekend caused me to question my future for the first time," he said at the time. His team-mate, Andrew Hall, announced on Saturday that he would be joining the breakaway Indian Cricket League when his contract expires at the end of the month, and it was feared that Kallis, 31, might take a similar route. "I feel I have a lot of good cricket left," he was quoted as saying, "and my best years might even be ahead of me."

But today in a joint statement with CSA, Kallis said he remained totally committed to South African cricket. "I will always be willing to help others," he said in a reference to his role as senior batsman in the South Africa squad. "I just want to become the best player that I can possibly be."