Brian Lara better than Sachin Tendulkar - Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis opts for Brian Lara over Sachin Tendulkar

South African cricketer Jacques Kallis has said that he considers Brian Lara to be the best he had played against and not Sachin Tendulkar.

When asked who were the toughest players he had played against, Kallis opined: “Seamer: Wasim Akram. He had the ability to swing the ball both ways. Spinner: Shane Warne. He controlled the game, he attacked, defended. Batsman: Brian Lara.”

He added: “He (Tendulkar) has done a tremendous amount for world cricket and for taking it forward. He played the game hard but always in the right spirit.

He was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo: “To achieve what he (Tendulkar) achieved is incredible. I enjoyed my battles against him. I always said I will play this game hard but in the right spirit, that I can (leave aside) the game when I am in a country and have a beer with them. That’s the way he played it (too).”

Jacques Kallis did not seem bothered about the financial control that the BCCI exercises over all the boards in the world.

He said: “I don’t think anyone really knows if it’s a good or a bad thing. We are going to have to wait and see. If we are brutally honest, the BCCI has had a lot of power over the game for some time, so I don’t think it is really going to change much.

“My only concern is that they make decision in the best interests of cricket and not only in the best interests of own cricket, and I think they will do that.”

The 39-year-old, who played his last Test against India, retired from the longer format in last December. But he has mentioned his willingness to continue with the ODI side, as he wants to win the 2015 World Cup.

“When I want to achieve something and put my mind to it, I want to give it everything I’ve got. I want to be part of a team that wins the World Cup. That’s something that’s missing on my CV. If I didn’t believe we could do it, I would not stick around for it. If I did not believe I could make a difference, I wouldn’t do it,” he said.

“We’ve still got 20-odd ODIs before the World Cup and if I am not scoring the runs, I have no right to be in that team. I’ve just sat down with Gary Kirsten and worked out a programme. Not playing Test cricket will give me time to work on one-day skills.”