Queen Laura vs King Kallis: Is Wolvaardt already Proteas’ GOAT?

JACQUES Henry Kallis has always laid the biggest claim to GOAT - Greatest of All Time - status in South African cricket. Kallis’ exploits stretch the discussion even further to him arguably being the world’s greatest cricketer ever due to the incredible numbers that he achieved over the course of his illustrious career.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

PROTEAS Women's captain Laura Wolvaardt will inspire generations to come with her record-breaking exploits.

(AFP)

It is hard to argue with 13 289 Test runs, average of 55.37, and 292 Test wickets. It's almost the equivalent of India’s legends Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan’s numbers morphed into one.

Add a further 11 579 and 279 ODI runs and wickets with the T20I small change of 666 runs and 12 wickets, and you have yourself one helluva cricketer.

However, the question remains, and in some circles, it would be considered blasphemy considering we are fellow alumni of Wynberg Boys’ High School, but did Kallis move the needle?

Is there an iconic series that belonged solely to Kallis? Did he deliver a match-winning performance in a crunch ICC World Cup clash? And most importantly, for me at least, did he make boys and girls the world over pick up a cricket bat and start playing the game we love?

Kallis’ supporters will point to his five-wicket haul in the final of the Wills International Cup - the precursor to the ICC Champions Trophy - that resulted in what is still the Proteas’ Men’s team only major limited-overs competition success.

I, though, feel that South Africans are currently basking in the glory of their greatest ever cricketer - Laura Wolvaardt.

The Proteas Women’s captain is quite the phenomenon. Due to women’s cricket not playing a high volume of Tests, Wolvaardt has only featured in four multi-day matches over the past decade since her international debut back in 2016.