Only the latest apple of his captain's eye was noticeable for his abscence at SuperSport Centurion yesterday when the side had an optional training session in hot, sunny conditions.
While confirming no firm decision had been made over the final composition of the side hoping to win the series 2-0, Cronje admitted that Kallis' role was now one where the 22-year-old must shoulder more responsibility as a bowler in the game which starts tomorrow.
Both South Africa and Sri Lankan team managements had a long hard look at the surface of the Cnturion pitch which is hard and looks to be much faster and should have a lot more bounce than Newlands.
This encouraged Cronje to open up a little on the possible make up of the side. But he declined to mention other names.
``It is hard to say whether we will opt for a team which is six/four or five/five,'' he said yesterday. ``We will have a look on the morning of the game and then decide.''
Yet Cronje also said there was unlikely to be ``many changes'' to the side which won the first test at Newlands by 70 runs on Monday. Which says a lot and yet suggests nothing at all. No thoughts on Paul Adams being left out for Lance Klusener or Makhaya Ntini for Klusener.
But he did feel that Kallis' needed to expand his role as a bowler. He was required to switch from a one for 60 to a three for 70 bowler if he was to make a genuine contribution to the all-rounder slot.
``He needs to add variety to his bowling, the way Fanie (de Villiers) did and do the same job,'' he confided. ``Fanie used the crease quite a bit and varied his pace. He needs to become a run miser
``In Jacques we have a bowler who can do all these things. He's our best swing bowler and he, himself, feels he can contribute as a bowler,'' the South African captain added.
He also agreed the Newlands test was a ``learning experience for me and Jacques'' as well as discovering the need to rotate the bowling more than he normally would. Ntini played the support role at Newlands and may do so again at Centurion. The one problem was stifling the run rate of the attacking Sri Lanka batsman.
Cronje felt his short second innings bowling spell, which checked what had been a galloping run-rate, had done much to remove Aravinda de Silva in the second innings. And it had come at atime when Kallis and Ntini had travelled for too many runs in a short priod.
``It is the sort of variation tactic which Jacques also needs to learn as he comes to terms with his bowling,'' Cronje added.
As for the Sri Lankans, the skipper, Arjuna Ranatunga, De Silva and Dulip Mendis, the manager, made a lengthy examination of the pitch yesterday morning.
``It is certainly going to be faster than Newlands and with more bounce,'' He said. ``But we're prepared for anything.''
He also confirmed the left-arm fast bowler Chaminda Vaas had not been ruled out of the game and Nuwan Zoysa, who joins the side today, is only a back up if Vaas is unfit. There was no thought of surgery to the troublesome right ankle at present. Teams
South Africa (from): Hansie Cronje (capt), Gary Kirsten, Gerry Liebenberg, Jacques Kallis, HD Ackerman, Daryll Cullinan, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Makhaya Ntini, Allan Donald, Paul Adams.
Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvin Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Kumara Dhamasena, Rhoshan Mahanama, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga (capt), Hashan Tillekaratne, Roshan Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Upul Chandana, Nuwan Zoysa, Mahela Jayawrdene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ravi Pushpakumara, Pramodya Wickramsinghe.
Umpires: Javed Akhtar (Pakistan) and Rudi Koertzen. TV: Dave Orchard.
TV: TV1 10.115-4pm; TV2 4pm to 5.30; M-Net sattelite: 10.15am to 5.30pm