Kallis receives Ikhamanga Award

JOHANNESBURG: Former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis has been honoured with the Order of Ikhamanga in the Silver Division.

The national honour is bestowed by the President of South Africa on citizens who have made significant contributions to arts, literature, music, journalism, culture and sports.

Kallis has been rewarded for his successful cricketing career – the former Proteas played 166 Tests, 328 ODIs and 25 T20Is, returning 62 hundreds and 577 wickets.

Former teammates of Kallis have previously been bestowed with the honour. In 2018, Hashim Amla received the Silver award, while Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini were both recognised in 2008.

On Kallis’ achievement, Cricket South Africa Chief Executive Thabang Moroe said: “It is highly fitting that Jacques should be honoured in this way with this prestigious award.

“Jacques’ long list of achievements hardly need repeating but suffice it to say he stands alongside the great Sir Garfield Sobers as the greatest batting all-rounder of all time and is certainly our greatest player of the modern era.

“Most of important of all is the outstanding example he has set for the highest standards of sportsmanship and the traditions of the game to inspire not just aspiring young cricketers but the youth of the entire country.”