Kallis quits ODI cricket months before World Cup

South Africa's Jacques Kallis reacts after he was hit by a ball during a practice session ahead of their second One Day International cricket match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele July 8, 2014. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa's Jacques Kallis has surprisingly decided to call time on his international limited overs career six months before the World Cup. The 38-year-old, one of the greatest all-rounders in the game’s history, retired from test cricket last year but had been planning to finish his South Africa career at the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in February and March. However, he announced a change of heart on Wednesday, just weeks after helping South Africa win a one-day international series in Sri Lanka for the first time. "I realised in Sri Lanka that my dream of playing in a World Cup was a bridge too far," he said in a statement. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson; editing by Josh Reich)