Heinrich Klaasen can be exactly the X-factor that South Africa need at the World Cup, writes Katya Witney. This article first appeared in issue 71 of Wisden Cricket Monthly, a World Cup special.
No one in the world is hitting it as well as Heinrich Klaasen. From only playing two matches in the T20 World Cup nine months ago, to a blazing purple patch of centuries, sixes and more sixes – it’s a modus operandi that makes South Africa World Cup dark horses.
You can follow Klaasen’s explosive rise through countless T20 franchise contests this year. In the first game of SA20, he gave the home fans a great service by hitting 100 off 43 balls with six straight hits. Next up was his IPL along the march of the capitalist calendar, with Klaasen further on where he smoked a century and his strike rate approached his 200 mark.
These attacks were clear evidence of Klaasen’s superiority against spin, and AB de Villiers declared him one of the best spin players he had ever seen. It’s easy to hit and doesn’t require much effort. Drop it a meter in front and watch it disappear into the middle of the wicket. Drop it into the slot and watch it hit the visor.
Two months after the IPL, Klaasen reached triple digits again. This isa first in the history of Major League Cricket. In his third century franchise this year, Klaasen faced a total of 139 pitches at a strike rate of 228. In The Hundred for Oval Invincibles, 17 of the first 106 pitches he faced were from six monsters, about the maximum every six pitches. he faced. After a particularly brutal performance against London Spirit, he said: I’ve worked hard on it over the last few years and it seems to work in any situation. ”
The fact that South Africa has a player of Klaasen’s skill and strength will breathe life into a World Cup season that could be marred by the ever-deteriorating circumstances. It’s been a depressing 12 months that saw South Africa withdraw from the top flight of international cricket. Last year, they lost to the Netherlands and were eliminated from the T20 World Cup in the group stages before finishing a heartbreaking Test tour of Australia and then playing against West Indies in front of a sparse crowd in the same stadium where their players would play. They suffered two crushing defeats. Less than a month ago, he started looking into franchises owned by IPL.
Next year, these stadiums will be filled again for the same purpose. Meanwhile, the Grade B Proteas side will take on New Zealand in a Test series away from the spotlight on the other side of the world. In a bleak landscape, figures like Claassen are more important than ever.
South African cricket has been built on great entertainers who play the game. From Alan Donald to AB, the people who made cricket faster and bigger have captivated and energized the cricketing imagination in the post-apartheid era. Although Klaasen is currently in the headlines, he is not the only player on South Africa’s World Cup squad.
Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi may be the only fast bowling attack that can match Pakistan’s devastating speed weapon. David Miller matches Claasen in terms of strength, but this will be Quinton de Kock’s last ODI hurrah, leaving him to share the top spot with Themba Bavuma.
Consolation for South Africa comes from the fact that there is more behind them than just what they have now. It’s just one World Cup away for Dewald Brevis, the Gen Z replacement for South Africa’s millennial superstar, but 22-year-old fast bowler Gerald Coetzee is on the fast track after an impressive nine months on the franchise circuit. has grown into
As ODI and T20 cricket transforms into an interchangeable free-for-all game, young players who rise to prominence and make fortunes in franchise competitions will become the cornerstone of 50-over teams. South Africa has many problems. However, if you get caught up in everything that is broken, it becomes difficult to see the challenges of the here and now. Despite all the challenges, it’s easy to forget that the whole team has quality and pedigree.
This article first appeared in issue 71 of Wisden Cricket Monthly, dedicated to the World Cup.
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