Kallis joins South African coaching staff

Johannesburg, Dec 18 (AFP/APP): Jacques Kallis was on Wednesday named as South Africa’s batting consultant as the host nation continued to strengthen their coaching staff ahead of the first Test against England, starting at Centurion on December 26.

Kallis, 44, is South Africa’s most-capped Test player.

He played in 165 Tests for South Africa as well as one for a World XI.

Cricket South Africa said in a statement that Kallis would join the national squad for their pre-Test camp starting in Pretoria today.

He will remain part of the team set-up for the rest of the South African season.

Kallis, who retired from international cricket in 2013, is third on the all-time Test run-scorers list with 13 289 runs at an average of 55.37.

He joins a coaching staff headed by newly-appointed head coach Mark Boucher, South Africa’s second most-capped Test player, who played 146 times for the country as well as once for a World XI.

It was reported from Bangladesh earlier that Charl Langeveldt, who has previously served as South African bowling coach, had been released from his contract with Bangladesh in order to take up a position with South Africa.