Kallis dismisses move down the order

Jacques Kallis, the South African allrounder, is confident that runs will flow from his bat in the one-day series against the visiting New Zealand team. Kallis, who along with Andrew Flintoff was jointly voted the ICC's Player of the Year, was reacting to reports about his lack of runs so far in this season.

"I feel very good about my batting." Kallis said to SuperCricket. "As far as my level of play is concerned, I don't think that one poor score in Bloemfontein indicates that I'm having problems. My season only started on Sunday."

A Johannesburg newspaper reported that it would be in the national side's interest to move Kallis down the batting order to No. 6 so that hard-hitting players can take advantage of the field restrictions in the first 15 overs. Kallis, however, feels otherwise."There are a few changes to the rules this year, but the basic principles of the game have remained unchanged. One of the top three batsmen should still try to bat through. Everyone can't follow the same tactics and I know what my role is," Kallis said.

Kallis hoped that the pitch for the second one-dayer on October 28 at Cape Town will play more like a traditional South African one. The slower pitches in Johannesburg (the venue for the Pro20 warm-up game) and Bloemfontein, he said, had favoured New Zealand. "I don't understand why we prepare pitches that eliminate our home advantage. The last few weeks, as well as in the World Cup two years ago, we prepared pitches that weren't to our advantage."

Kallis also questioned the United Cricket Board of South Africa's logic in scheduling a one-day series in India just before the national side departs for a tour of Australia."I understand the tour (to India) was organised at the last minute, but it's still weird that we have to prepare for the highlight of the season - the tour to Australia - on the slow, dusty pitches of the sub-continent."

Kallis admits that a tour to Australia - where the pitches are known for their speed and bounce - is a series that he and other South African players are looking forward to with great interest. "A tour to Australia is always a highlight. As a player one wants to measure oneself against the best and the Aussies are still the best cricket team in the world," Kallis said.

For the moment, though, he maintains that South Africa are focused on the one-day internationals against New Zealand.