Kallis back and ready

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis has spoken for the first time of his grief after the death of his father from cancer.

Kallis flew home to Cape Town after the NatWest Series final on 12 July to be with his father, Henry, who was diagnosed with a lung tumour in March. Henry died on July 23 at the age of 65, the day before the start of the first Test.

Although Kallis, 27, found some of his best form over the summer - he hit back-to-back centuries during the NatWest Series - he admitted he had found it difficult to focus on cricket.

He said: "It was a bit iffy before I left, but there was the motivation of doing well for the old man and keeping him going. He didn't suffer much, which is good. He went in the way everyone would have wanted - full of dignity."

Kallis, who is the only player currently in the top 10 of both the batting and bowling world rankings, said he was unable to look to the future until his father's funeral.

He added: "That when I had to sit down and say: "You're going to have to move on and be positive from here on in".