Brett Lee names Jacques Kallis as cricket's greatest all-around player

Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has weighed in on the 'greatest of all time' (GOAT) debate in cricket, distinguishing between the best pure batsman and the most complete cricketer.

Lee named India's Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman to ever play the game. However, he identified South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis as the best overall cricketer, citing his exceptional statistical output in both batting and bowling. Lee noted, “I think the best batsman to ever play the game is Sachin Tendulkar, but the best cricketer, in my opinion, is Jacques Kallis. He has the best numbers in the world if you look at his stats.”

Reflecting on their time as teammates at the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Lee described Kallis's meticulous preparation and composed demeanor, noting his heart rate remained remarkably low before going out to bat. Kallis's career statistics include over 13,000 Test runs and 292 wickets, making him the only player to achieve more than 10,000 runs and 250 wickets in both Test and ODI formats.