Brett Lee Names Sachin Tendulkar Best Batter, Calls Jacques Kallis Greatest Complete Cricketer
Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has shared his views on the finest players in cricket history, distinguishing between pure batting excellence and overall all-round capability. While Lee maintains that India’s Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, he highlighted South Africa’s Jacques Kallis as the premier all-round cricketer due to his comprehensive statistical record and match-winning versatility across disciplines.
What Happened
Speaking during an appearance on the BeerBiceps podcast, Brett Lee reflected on his international career and his encounters with top players. Lee, who captured over 700 international wickets for Australia, explained that while Tendulkar holds the mantle of the finest batter, Kallis represents the most complete cricketer across formats.
Lee stated during the podcast: “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 also recalled his time sharing a dressing room with Kallis in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Kallis represented the franchise from 2011 to 2014, while Lee played alongside him between 2011 and 2013. Lee noted Kallis’s calm demeanour during pre-match routines, describing his heart rate as being around 30 beats per minute before batting because he was remarkably relaxed and chilled out.
Key Highlights
- Distinction of Roles: Brett Lee identified Sachin Tendulkar as the finest batsman in cricket history and Jacques Kallis as the best complete cricketer.
- IPL Teammates: Both players represented Kolkata Knight Riders simultaneously between 2011 and 2013, giving Lee direct insight into Kallis’s relaxed preparation methods.
- Kallis’s Test Record: In Test cricket, Kallis amassed 13,289 runs at an average of 55.37 with 45 centuries, alongside 292 wickets at an average of 32.65 and 200 catches.
- Kallis’s ODI Numbers: In One-Day Internationals, Kallis scored 11,579 runs at an average of 44.36 with 17 centuries, while taking 273 wickets at an average of 31.79.
Why This Matters
Lee’s comments provide perspective on how top international bowlers evaluate all-time greats. Rather than comparing players through a single metric, Lee separated pure batting dominance from multi-dimensional contributions, pointing directly to Kallis’s rare combination of runs, wickets, and catches across both Test and ODI formats to substantiate his evaluation.
What to Watch Next
Cricket discussions surrounding all-time player rankings continue to draw widespread interest as former international cricketers share first-hand accounts and statistical evaluations from their playing days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who does Brett Lee consider the best batsman in cricket history?
Brett Lee stated that Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman to ever play the game.
Why did Brett Lee call Jacques Kallis the best complete cricketer?
Lee pointed to Kallis’s unmatched statistical record across disciplines and his ability to excel across multiple formats as a batsman, bowler, and fielder.
Did Brett Lee and Jacques Kallis play together?
Yes, both players shared the dressing room for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL between 2011 and 2013.
Source: Crictracker / BeerBiceps podcast