Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has hailed Jacques Kallis as the greatest cricketer of all time, highlighting the South African all-rounder's exceptional achievements with both bat and ball.

Kallis amassed 13,289 runs in 166 Tests at an average of 55.37, registering 45 centuries and 58 half-centuries. He was equally effective with the ball, claiming 292 wickets at an average of 32.65.

"Jacques Kallis is the best cricketer who has ever played. I don't care about everybody else," Ponting stated on The Howie Games podcast on YouTube.

"Jacques Kallis is the full stop for me… You can take 300 Test wickets, and you can score 45 Test centuries, but to do both feats at the same time is amazing. Jacques has done both."

Ponting believes Kallis is not spoken about in the same breath as legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara due to factors beyond cricket.

"I think he's the best and the most underrated because he's not talked about very much at all. Probably because of his personality and his character."