All-rounders are a rare breed in cricket; batsmen who could bowl or bowlers who could bat. Having a genuine all-rounder in the final XI is every captain’s dream but if a list of the greatest all-rounders is compiled, do you know which country will have the highest number of two-in-one players in the elite club? That will be South Africa.

In Jacques Kallis and 12 other great South African all-rounders, Dr. Ali Bacher and David Williams discuss 13 of these top all-rounders who helped the Proteas become a formidable force in World Cricket before apartheid brought an end to their rise in 1970.

You get to know through this book that Jimmy Sinclair was way ahead of his times. Not only did he score the first century by a South African in Tests, he was the first person to follow it with 6 wickets in an innings … now that’s a genuine all-rounder! The crowds came into watch him bat and that was at the turn of the last century, between 1896 and 1911. Some interesting facts you get to know about him while reading this book is that he scored one of the earliest fastest centuries, ended his career with an average of 36 when other batsmen didn’t have even 30 and used to go out to bat in nets when openers went out to bat in a match. Good thinking!

In the next few chapters, Aubrey Faulkner, Trevor Goddard and Eddie Barlow are discussed at length; those who don’t know Faulkner find out that he ended his career with a batting average of over 40 and a bowling average of under 30 which is nothing short of ideal; but soon after he left the game, he committed suicide. Trevor Goddard on the other hand nearly didn’t become an international cricketer but when he did, he became such terror for England that at one time; they picked five left-handers to counter him - and failed. Then there was Eddie Barlow who was selected for all Tests since his debut in 1960 and his career was cut short because of the apartheid.

Among other two-in-ones, there were Tiger Lance and Basil D’ Oliveira who get good mention; the latter’s role in the banishment of his home country from international sports is something every cricket lover wants to read about and who better to tell about that than the people affected by it. Basil’s inclusion - as well as that of Tony Grieg - is the only exception of players not representing South Africa but since they were born in the country and learned their cricket there, they are considered South Africans rather than Englishmen.

What makes this book special is the personal touch of Ali Bacher, the man who was instrumental in bringing South Africa back into international cricket. Be it his memory of the last lunch with Tiger Lance or the first-time mention of Tony Grieg’s epileptic fit on the ground after taking a catch after which the Doc had to give him an injection; everything seems as if it happened a few days back.

For me, the best part was the chapters about cricketers from 1970s and beyond - the ones whose footage is available on You Tube. The readers get to know that before Tony Grieg became a commentator, he was a world-class prankster who didn’t know who the old man at the airport was until someone pointed out that he was in the company of Sir Don Bradman! Be it his riot-starting run-out of Alvin Kallicharan in the Caribbean in 1974 or his century against Dennis Lillee where he continuously mocked the Aussie pacer especially after dispatching him for boundaries, everything seems as fresh as it happened recently. The writers must be commended for talking to people who had witnessed these all-rounders playing, and some of the incidents they put down are worth mention; such as:

1-Brian McMillian’s flying kiss from the slips that unsettled Australian captain Allan Border

2-Big Mac’s gun-wielding episode that saw the Australian dressing room become empty in no time

3-Tony Grieg’s use of the ‘grovel’ word that made the West Indian pacers angry, very angry

4-Australian Cricket Moghul Kerry Packer’s asking Tony Grieg and Ali Bacher about Lance Klusener’s lower order appearances - Are you blokes mad?

5-Mike Procter six consecutive sixes that happened in 2 separate overs

6-And Lance Klusener’s non-selection for his school’s annual cricket team, because he wasn’t considered good enough!

Although the writers lose their grip on the topic when they write about Mike Procter and Clive Rice, they do give valuable information. For trivia hunters, it will be interesting to note that Mike Procter scored century and took a hat-trick in a first class match twice, and is the only player to do so ever. He also scored six first-class centuries in 6 innings and amongst all-rounders, has most number of first class centuries (48). Even Clive Rice’s 482 FC matches record is discussed and his decision to ‘never-sledge’ is hailed. The two quality all-rounders discuss their contemporaries as well and term Sir Garry Sobers was a genius, Imran Khan as a wonderful captain and Ian Botham and Sir Richard Hadlee as a force to reckon with.

And finally, it comes to the all-rounders of the 90s - while Brian ‘Big Mac’ McMillian is described as the best fielder among all-rounders. In fact, the writers claim that he missed so few catches that his teammates remember each dropped chance. Similarly, the exploits of Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener and Jacques Kallis also make it to the book but what is interesting to read is Shaun Pollock’s views on the selectors’ decision to axe him after the 2003 World Cup; Lance Klusener’s version of what happened in the semifinal of 1999 World Cup and how Jacques Kallis became the best all-rounder in the world.

A book on all-rounders must have an introduction from the best - and it does, from Sir Garry Sobers, the greatest all-rounder of all times! This book is of archival value for history buffs and cricket enthusiasts alike because it borrows from printed stories of the era (mostly Wisden), prove their point with statistics and even mentions the handful of black all-rounders who were good enough to represent South Africa, but were prevented because of their race. Interesting read all around!