Sometimes believing your own reputation can cause your downfall. Even when you do your hardest to avoid it. Jacques Kallis has been called "selfish" too many times to mention. The accusations are quick to ring any time South Africa loses and Kallis gets a strike rate lower than 100. It has already happened once during this World Cup: after the game against Australia. Kallis forced his way to 48 off 63 balls, in a game where the asking rate started at 7.6 an over. Was he being selfish in that game? Who knows? The only thing that matters is that some people wondered whether he was selfish, which in turn caused him to adapt his game in subsequent matches to deal with that very question.
During yesterday's game against Bangladesh, Kallis tried to forced the pace; he drove and cut against anything bowled slightly wide, keeping a strike rate over a 100 at all costs. The weird thing is that the more aggressive he became during the game, the more selfish he looked.
It's a funny thing, the "selfish" moniker. Kobe Bryant has often had to deal with it in the NBA. He can post monster games, 50 or 60 points at a time, and he gets accused of not sharing the ball enough. If he tries to curb his instincts and pass the ball more often, he is condemned for not using his gifts and relying on his inexperienced teammates to carry the load.
Kallis' burden is different. He is undoubtedly the most gifted and technically apt batsman in the South African lineup, but his talent can often cause him problems. After the "selfish" accusations following the game against Australia, it's clear that Kallis wanted to make a point. He hit a calculated 66 against Ireland, and then came out a-blazin' against the Bangladeshis. He was driving on the up, edging full-blooded swings through the vacant slip region, and pinching risky singles. And then he got out, mistiming a pull off Syed Rasel's slower-than-slow ball.
When you think about it, wasn't that the most selfish tactic he could have employed for that situation? He was so hell-bent on proving that he wasn't a ball-waster that he played unnecessary high-risk shots because they would guarantee him boundaries (and a high strike rate) if he connected. If he had actually analysed the situation rationally, he would have seen that the smart choice would've been to see off Mortaza's fire, keep his wicket intact, and then work the spinners around during the middle overs.
But Kallis couldn't settle for that. He had to accelerate unnaturally, trying to prove a personal point instead of doing what was best for the team. He didn't lose it for South Africa, but he refused to truly win it for them.
And that is why we will never stop wondering whether Jacques K. is a selfish prick or not.
so now that you've dived into the issues around kallis, is there an in depth essay long blog about england and vaughan due?
Posted by: George Hayward | April 08, 2007 at 09:46 AM