Brett Lee names Jacques Kallis as cricket's greatest all-rounder, picks Sachin Tendulkar as best batter

Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has opened up on who, according to him, is the finest batsman and the greatest all-round cricketer in cricket history. Lee has consistently maintained that Sachin Tendulkar stands as the best batter ever to play the game, but he reserves his highest praise for South Africa's Jacques Kallis when considering complete cricketing ability across all formats and disciplines.

During his illustrious international career, in which he took over 700 wickets, Lee faced Tendulkar multiple times and watched Kallis perform across different formats. His perspective reflects the difference between exceptional batting skill and the broader mastery required to excel as a complete cricketer.

"I've always said that I think that the best batsman to ever play the game is Sachin Tendulkar. But the best cricketer is Jacques Kallis. He's got the best numbers in the world. If you look at his stats, the stats don't lie. He's incredible," Lee said while speaking on the BeerBiceps podcast.

Lee recalls being teammates with Kallis

Lee’s admiration for Kallis grew from closely observing him as an opponent before eventually sharing the dressing room with him in the IPL. Kallis played for Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011 to 2014, while Lee was part of the franchise from 2011 to 2013.

"But to be alongside as a teammate and to watch him prepare for a game, his heart rate was about 30 beats a minute before going out to bat as he was chilled out. So relaxed," Lee concluded.

Kallis's complete record across formats

South African great Kallis's record across international cricket supports Lee's assessment of his complete skill set. In Test cricket, the South African all-rounder accumulated 13,289 runs at a staggering batting average of 55.37, including 45 centuries.

Beyond his batting prowess, Kallis took 292 wickets at an average of 32.65 and completed 200 catches in the longest format. His ODI statistics further demonstrate his versatility, with 11,579 runs at an average of 44.36, 17 centuries, and 273 wickets at an average of 31.79.