# Marco Jansen: South Africa's all-rounder for all formats > The 26-year-old Proteas player has evolved into an indispensable all-rounder, contributing with bat, ball and in the field across all three formats. - Title: Marco Jansen: South Africa's all-rounder for all formats - Summary: The 26-year-old Proteas player has evolved into an indispensable all-rounder, contributing with bat, ball and in the field across all three formats. Marco… - Keywords: marco jansen, proteas, south africa cricket, all-rounder, odi series, australia, test cricket, t20 cricket, news, politics, Marco, Jansen - Source: Daily Maverick — https://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-04-marco-jansen-all-action-hero-in-all-formats-stands-tall-for-proteas - Author: Yanga Sibembe - Published: 2026-10-04T10:47:04+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: marco jansen, proteas, south africa cricket, all-rounder, odi series, australia, test cricket, t20 cricket, news, politics ## Proteas beat Australia in ODI series South Africa secured a one-day international series win over reigning world champions Australia on Sunday, twenty-seventh September. Marco Jansen contributed with bat, ball and a stunning one-handed catch. ## Jansen's rapid rise since debut Since making his international debut in a Test against India in December two thousand twenty-one, Marco Jansen has evolved into one of the most indispensable members of the Proteas team across all three formats. ## Standing two point zero six metres tall Jansen stands two point zero six metres tall and has grown to become a vital player in the South African national men's team. His height and athleticism contribute to his effectiveness across formats. ## Coach Conrad praises his balance Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has spoken about how vital Jansen is for the team's balance. Conrad said Jansen is a fantastic all-format player who bowls up front and at the death and hits the ball a long way. > He's a fantastic all-format player who balances our side. He bowls up front and at the death, and hits the ball a long way. ## Comparisons to Jacques Kallis After his all-action heroics against Australia, some cricket followers began comparing Jansen to Jacques Kallis, South Africa's greatest all-rounder. Kallis represented the country in the two thousands as a pace-bowling all-rounder. ## Jansen's ambition as all-rounder Jansen is twenty-six years old and still some way from reaching his full potential, especially with the bat. He told Daily Maverick in February two thousand twenty-two that he wants to become an all-round all-rounder, not just a bowling all-rounder. > I don't just want to be a bowling all-rounder, I want to become an all-round all-rounder, if that makes sense. ## From opener to all-rounder As a young boy playing cricket with his twin brother Duan, Jansen specialised in batting and was an opener. When he was nine years old, the Klerksdorp-born cricketer scored an impressive one hundred sixty-four. ## Batting scores across formats Jansen is yet to score a century for the senior national team. His highest scores are ninety-three in Tests, an unbeaten seventy-five in ODIs and fifty-five not out in T20s. He typically bats at number seven or eight. ## Bowling statistics across formats With ball in hand, Jansen has thirty-three wickets from thirty T20 matches, fifty-two wickets from thirty-four ODI innings, and eighty-nine wickets from thirty-eight Test innings. He is closing in on one hundred Test wickets. ## Inspired by Mitchell Johnson and Shaheen Jansen drew inspiration from left-arm quicks Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc from Australia, and Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi. He studied their techniques and adapted them to find his own identity as a bowler. ## Left-handed bowler, right-handed batter Jansen bowls left-handed but bats with his right hand, making him part of a rare breed of cricketers. His position as a left-arm pacer is invaluable to the Proteas alongside right-handed bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. ## Finding comfort in his own skin During an April press conference for the Indian Premier League, where he plays for Punjab Kings, Jansen said he has felt comfortable in his own skin in the last year or so. He aims to stay consistent and stack good performances as close as possible. > In the last year or so, I've felt comfortable in my own skin. ## Leadership role with Proteas When Rabada and Ngidi were both injured, Jansen spoke about taking on a leadership role as the team's next-most-capped seam bowler before the first ODI against Australia on twenty-fourth September. He described leadership as calming things down when they go sideways. > Leadership is that when things go sideways or when things are tough, especially in the field, you have to have a way of calming things down and slowing things down. ## Key takeaway Marco Jansen has become vital to South Africa's cricket team across all formats since his December two thousand twenty-one debut, with coaches praising his rare all-round ability among his generation.