Is there a way to stop the onslaught of Heinrich Klaasen? Probably yes, but every bowler knows how difficult it is to guard against one of the most ferocious white-ball batters that the cricket world has ever seen. Full-length deliveries go above the bowler’s head, anything around back-of-a-length is pulled away with substantial power. It is definitely hard to be a bowler against Klaasen. No wonder, a few days ago, Shane Bond said, “Klaasen is a nightmare to bowl to.”
The cricket season 2023-24 has been most fruitful for the 31-year-old. He has scored 531 runs at a blistering strike rate of 154 in the 10 matches he has played this season. These are truly outstanding numbers because anyone who understands cricket will know how difficult it is to maintain such a strike rate with an average of 53.
Heinrich Klaasen is a bold player and doesn’t hold back, even if he is playing his first few balls. His confidence is supreme, as is his boundary-hitting ability. The thing that has changed, or rightly to call it a positive improvement, is the batting of all South African batters. They are so confident and don’t like to hold back because they tried to be conservative against the Netherlands, and it was like an early wake-up call for them.
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5 Things That Make Heinrich Klaasen a Special Player
Just about seven weeks ago, Klaasen smashed 174 runs in 83 balls against Australia at SuperSport Park, Centurion. It was clearly visible that there is something brewing inside this camp, and it wasn’t just luck that he played that kind of cricket on a set platform. Coming to bat in the 30th over when South Africa was in definite trouble, somehow he decided to change the entire momentum, which he did in a blitz that will remain an unforgettable experience for the Australians.
Heinrich Klaasen Has Been A Consistent Force in the South African Batting Lineup
Now, in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Klaasen has already shown what his specialty is and how destructive he can be, particularly in the last 10 overs. If any South African pair stays, they can almost accumulate more than 130 runs, which they have done thrice in 5 matches of this World Cup. It will be interesting to see how Klaasen performs against India because if there is a match in this World Cup where his performance will count superior to every other batting display, it will be against India at Eden Gardens.
The way he is playing at the moment, given that he doesn’t feel pressure even in a big match, a big and impactful innings can be recorded on that day.
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World Cup 23: England Destroyed by South Africa at Wankhede
There is no doubt Klaasen has been difficult to bowl to. As a bowler, your options couldn’t be more limited than against any other player. As mentioned earlier, a touch short is pumped over mid-wicket, a touch full is belted over long-on. Then there comes the smooth punch through the cover, which looks glorious when he executes it through that gap. Another beautiful shot that he plays is the back-foot punch between the point and cover region.
It’s a beauty to watch him bat in that way. These are all orthodox shots armed with perfection. He has risen to the ranks of the most destructive ODI batter of the modern game. So far, he has been consistent, and if it keeps going like this, South Africa will definitely have a trophy under its belt soon.
