Just before the pandemic set in March, Mandla Mashimbyi the head coach at the Titans in South Africa, remembers a dejected Heinrich Klaasen showing up at Centurion.
Overlooked by the Proteas for over a year, Klaasen had announced himself big time with a man of the series performance in the ODI series against Australia at home. He even scored his maiden century then, before finding his name missing from Cricket South Africa’s annual contract. After missing out on the 2019 World Cup, his career was once again at crossroads even as South Africa had taken baby steps from moving on from big names for the 2023 edition.
With domestic T20 leagues sprouting up and normal service resuming post-pandemic, Klaasen could have been easily allured by the big money contracts that came his way. A natural six-hitter, who could strike the ball long and hard, it didn’t come as a surprise that franchises were queuing up for his signature. South Africa, could have easily missed out on another outstanding batting talent to the rest of the world. Only thing is Klaasen wasn’t going to have any of it. Instead, Mashimbyi recalls how a wounded Klaasen turned up at the Centurion instead.
‘He could have easily taken up the big bucks that T20 franchises were offering him. But he took the hard call and wanted to grind it out at the domestic level and represent the country again. Missing out on the contract just triggered the fighter in him, because he wanted to prove that he is made for the international level, which many thought was beyond him. From the time I first saw him in 2014, it has been his dream all along and nothing could lure him. He wanted to fight for his spot, which he thought was his,’ Mashimbyi tells The Indian Express.
With a string of good scores in the domestic fold, Klaasen would make a re-entry to the national set-up. With all their middle-order bigwigs hanging up their boots, a place would open up for Klaasen and with his credentials as a power-hitter only improving thanks to T20s, South Africa would eventually zero-in on him for the World Cup. And with Rob Walter, the coach with whom he started with at Titans, now in charge of South Africa’s white-ball teams, Klaasen would start getting the sort of backing he needed to become the beast he is.\
‘The last 18 months have been a blessing for him for all the hard work he put in earlier. He is someone who will perform when he knows the coach backs him. He would do anything for the coach and will always go the extra mile. Compared to two years back and now what has worked is that, this team believes in him. He has the trust of the coach and feels he is the main guy now,’ Mashimbyi adds.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen reacts after hitting a six (REUTERS)
That Klaasen had a good outing in the SA20 and in the IPL 2023, also helped a big deal. With South Africa’s batting being too top-heavy, and no finisher in the mix, Walter would turn his eyes to Klaasen, who started off as an opener. His aggressive style of play, especially his ability to launch an onslaught from the word go — which was not too long ago considered rash – would prove to be the deal clincher.
Like Lance Klusener, Klaasen has a similar bat lift. It is the very genesis of his power-hitting game that enables him to strike the ball long and hard to all pockets.
‘He has always been explosive. The thing that makes him dangerous is he can bat when the chips are down. He is always looking for that fight, if you need someone to consolidate you go to him invariably because he is well-equipped to overcome such moments. Even in his early years, when Titans were in a very sticky situation on difficult pitches he has gone on to make hundreds for fun. He has this ability to absorb pressure and deliver back and if you are looking for someone to finish games, he can come and from the outset put pressure on bowlers. That for me is a high-skilled batsman, who can win you games from any position,’ Mashimbyi says.
Just before the World Cup, during the ODIs against Australia at home, he showed what he is capable of doing in the middle-order. Coming in at No 5 with South Africa placed at 120/3 in the 26th over, Klaasen launched himself to a personal best of 174 off 83 balls. And at this World Cup, he has a 67-ball 109 against England while coming in the 26th over and a 49-ball 90 landing at the crease in the 31st over. So far in this World Cup, Klaasen has scored 142 runs off the last 10 overs at an overall strike-rate of 150.78.
But the conditions in India were supposed to be his area of concern. For a batsman who grew up playing at Centurion, where there is always juice on the pitch that makes batsmen go on the backfoot at most times, the spin-friendly conditions had tested him before. Even when he made his debut against India in 2018, he struggled against India’s spinners. And ahead of this year’s edition which he used as a precursor for the World Cup, Klaasen would make a subtle adjustment. Blessed with an ability to pick up the length early, Mashimbyi’s advice to his ward would be to stand still and not play anything across the line, unless forced by the length.
‘Klaasen is a problem solver. You give him any condition, he will find a way to adjust and perform and that is what makes him special. So ahead of the World Cup, he just went with a strong gameplan. He doesn’t commit early and he is standing on the leg-stump and waits for the ball to come. That is why he is managing to get the runs,’ Mashimbyi says.
