OPINION: Marco Jansen has grown into a genuine world class all-rounder

Any coach can see the value in an all-rounder, and South Africa has had the benefit of some incredible players over the years who could juggle multiple roles on the field.

The latest generation of Proteas have been waiting for some time for that place to be filled, but Marco Jansen has now grown into the role, and he offers real value as both a bowler and a batter.

His career-best return of 11/86 in the first Test against Sri Lanka last week proved again how important he is as a frontline bowler in the Proteas attack.

Jansen can be equally useful with the bat, however, and is more than capable of carrying the lower order.

In the third T20 International against India in Centurion earlier this month he top-scored with a 54-run contribution, and while the Proteas ultimately lost the game, he played his role perfectly.

There are obvious reasons genuine all-rounders are useful people to have in a cricket team, with one individual essentially taking the role of two players.

Carrying the lower order

We’ve always known that Jansen can hold a bat, and we know how good he is with the ball, but he is no longer a bowler who can bat.

The national team will have confidence that if they lose early wickets, they have an additional prong to their batting line-up who can hold up an end or pick up the pace if necessary.

With the ball, Jansen holds averages of 20.05 (Tests), 33.51 (ODIs) and 31.62 (T20s), and with the bat he boasts averages of 23.00 (Tests), 30.14 (ODIs) and 18.44 (T20s).

Having improved as much as he has, he will provide some relief to national coaches Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter, who know now he can help win games with bat or ball.

With 54 international matches under his belt, Jansen is growing into a senior member of the SA squad, and at the age of 24, he should still be around for some time.

Building on the legacy of South Africa’s phenomenal all-rounders, if he continues on his upward trajectory, all indications suggest he can only get better.