Kallis second only to the Don?

All Star ... Mickey Arthur says Jacques Kallis is second only to the Don. Source: AAP

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis has been paid the ultimate compliment by being hailed as the world's best ever cricketer outside of Sir Donald Bradman.

Australian coach Mickey Arthur said he rates Kallis better than anyone who has played the game, apart from Bradman, who averaged 99.94 in Test cricket.

Arthur is well placed to give his opinion, having coached Kallis for five years with the South Africa team.

"In my opinion he is the best cricketer the world has ever seen - outside of Don Bradman," Arthur said.

"Just look at his statistics. Don Bradman excluded, he is way above the rest of his era, and probably in any era."

Arthur's assertion is backed up by the numbers in Kallis's career - 12,641 Test runs at 56.94 and 280 wickets at 32.63.

His Test batting average is the best of the modern greats - Sachin Tendulkar (55.08), Brian Lara (52.88) Ricky Ponting (52.75), Rahul Dravid (52.31), Steve Waugh (51.06) and Matthew Hayden (50.73).

And then you toss in his medium-fast bowling, with 280 Test wickets at 32.63.

That is more wickets than frontline quicks such as West Indian greats Joel Garner and Michael Holding as well as Australian bowlers Jason Gillespie, Ray Lindwall and Richie Benaud.

West Indies' legend Garry Sobers is always rated the greatest all-rounder - yet Kallis's statistics compare favourably. The South African boasts a better bowling average and a batting average just three-quarters of a run less.

"With Kallis, we always said you got two great players in one," Arthur said. "Can you imagine putting Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee into the one player? That is the sort of thing you get with Jacques."

Kallis, 37, has been playing international cricket for 17 years and has played 155 Tests, 321 one-day internationals and 25 Twenty20 internationals.

He has scored the bulk of his Tests runs at No.4 (with 8525 runs at 64.58 in the pivotal batting position) and has played the majority of his Tests in South Africa, where pitches are favourable to seam and swing bowling.

Former Australian all-rounder Simon O'Donnell is another who feels Kallis has never got the accolades he deserves.

"He is a scary player and his statistics would measure up that he is the best all-rounder of all time," O'Donnell said.

"And he has been playing at the high level for such a long time. He has had an incredible career."

Kallis has certainly come a long way since he made a pair playing for Western Province in a tour game against the Queensland Bulls at Beenleigh's Dauth Park.

Western Province coach Duncan Fletcher, who went on to lead England and India, still saw something he liked in the 20-year-old.

While everyone may not yet appreciate the full extent of Kallis's exceptional talents, his Proteas teammate A.B. de Villiers said the all-rounder is a revered figure in South Africa.

"He is an absolute legend back home. The fact that he doesn't get as much of that overseas, I'm not sure why," de Villiers says.

"You have just got to look at his stats - they speak for themselves.

"He has been an amazing player over many years. It's easy to see how great he is with the bat, but he is a handy bowler who always picks up wickets for us.

"He is one of those guys who just performs at the right time - exactly the sort of guy you want in your team.

"Luckily, we have him in our side and hopefully for a few more years to come."

Kallis has a chest infection and has been rested from South Africa's game against Australia A in Sydney, but he has trained on several occasions since arriving and is no doubt for the Gabba Test.