Former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis has been honoured with an Order of Ikhamanga from the Presidency for his contribution to cricket and placing the team on the world sporting map.
"His (Kallis) stellar career and commitment to the sport inspired many young people to aim for excellence," the Presidency tweeted on Thursday.
The 43-year-old, who is busy coaching IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, received the Order in absentia from President Cyril Ramaphosa. Kallis' wife Charlene and his agent, former South Africa spinner Dave Rundle, collected the award on his behalf in Pretoria, Sport24 reported.
Kallis played in 166 Tests, scoring 13289 runs at an average of 55.37 and took 292 wickets at 32.65. He featured in 328 ODIs, accumulating 11579 runs at 44.36 and returned with 273 wickets at 31.79. He also played in 25 T20Is, scoring 666 runs and returned with 12 wickets.
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