Ashwell Prince was appointed captain in place of the injured Graeme Smith but the decision was overturned by Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola after discussing the issue with team management.

According to Kallis, there was no issue between him and Prince, who was appointed Test vice-captain at the beginning of the season but did not play in any of the five Tests against Australia after breaking a thumb before the first Test in Australia last December.

“I think he had his reasons and his views why he didn’t want it,” said Kallis. “Obviously he was offered it first and he turned it down and then they phoned me and asked me if I would do it for one Test match. There’s no issue there. I’ve had a chat with him and there’s no problem. The guys respect his point of view and the fact that I’ve taken over as captain.”

In any case, said Kallis, he was very much a caretaker captain, with Smith around in the build-up to the game and likely to be in the dressing room during the match. Responding to a reported jibe by Ricky Ponting that he was a “reluctant captain”, Kallis admitted that being an all-rounder and captain was “probably the hardest job in the world.”

One-off stint

But he said he was willing to do it on a one-off basis and that he was fortunate to have experienced players around him such as Mark Boucher and Hashim Amla.

“I’m the type of captain who pretty much lets the team make the decisions,” he said. “Obviously there are times when I’ve got to make the decisions but I let the guys get involved. It’s a tough job but I have enjoyed doing it in the past and I look forward to the challenge.”