Johannesburg: Long-serving Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis has announced that he will make a special donation to the Yuvraj Singh Foundation.
Kallis made the announcement as Cricket South Africa (CSA) declared that Kallis is to be honoured at a special T20 international between India and South Africa at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium here on March 30.
“I would also like to announce that I will be making a personal donation to the Yuvraj Singh Foundation. As we all know Yuvraj is going through a difficult time at the moment battling a serious illness and I went through a similar experience when my own father died of cancer at a relatively young age,” Kallis said.
“I am sure the entire Proteas’ squad and indeed the Cricket South Africa family joins me in wishing him a speedy recovery.”
“This match is a follow-up to last year’s successful T20 match at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban,” said Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola, adding that agreement had been reached with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to make this an annual fixture.
“We want to make this a Jacques Kallis evening in which we acknowledge his huge contribution to the Proteas and South African cricket generally as player, role model and mentor,” Majola said.
The inaugural match in January 20111 was a glittering affair preceded by a Bollywood concert featuring Shahrukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapur.
It brought to an end a year of festivities to celebrate the arrival of the first Indian indentured labourers to South Africa 150 years earlier.
Kallis said he felt humbled and honoured to be given this tribute.
“It is something I really appreciate. Cricket South Africa has given me wonderful opportunities to live the dream I have had from the moment I picked up a cricket bat for the first time.”
In 2006, as part of his Benefit Year, Kallis established the Jacques Kallis Scholarship Foundation.
The aim of the Foundation is to sponsor scholars from various backgrounds who show a promising talent in cricket.
The foundation pays for their tuition, room and board, living expenses as well as providing a central administration service and a high performance cricketing mentoring programme. (PTI)