What’s with South African talent walking away, when it’s their time to blossom at the international level?
Look at the likes of Quinton de Kock who decided to quit the red ball game at all of 29 and the ODI format a year later post the 2023 World Cup at the peak of his batting prowess.
Or should we rewind our memories back to 2017, when a certain Rilee Rossouw, who at the time was one of the most reliable batters for the Proteas in the limited overs format, opted to go Kolpak and play for Hampshire when his South African career was only soaring.
And possibly the cherry on the cake, the great AB de Villiers who surely had another World Cup left in him but unscrupulously decided to call quits on his international career in 2018 at all of 34. A year prior to the 2019 ODI World Cup, which perhaps could have been Mr. 360’s bow out tournament, only to have a change of heart later when the Proteas had all but settled their squad of 15 for the prized glory in England.
Well, if these cases weren’t enough to deflate a Proteas fan, me included, yesterday another bomb fell on the Green and Gold admirers, perhaps in an intensity much more lethal than one of a nuclear kind, with the current South African limited overs mainstay in Heinrich Klaasen also walking away from the international fold.
This courtesy his interest to play T20 Franchise Tournaments over national duty to make the wallet fatter and perhaps the family happier in terms of financial stability as well as spending more time with them.
Perhaps a decision one would agree with after a cricketer has served his nation to the best of his ability but certainly not at the cost for abandoning the pride associated with wearing the Proteas badge, especially when that cricketer is in his prime.
A lesson here for Heinrich Klaasen if you ask me, considering he is all of 33!
With this being said, the aggressive right-hander not beingawarded a central contract or perhaps not choosing one, when the South African management had announced the contract list for the new season also made the situation a bit dire.
And, with coach Shukri Conrad now doubling up to oversee the Proteas’ white-ball duties and making it clear that only the best, fully available players will be considered for all tournaments — bilateral series included — Klaasen’s international future seemed in the realm of uncertainty.
But retirement, that was really not called for, not now.
Perhaps something could certainly have been worked out mutually.
Afterall there are two tournaments of prime importance on the radar, the T20 World Cup in India next year followed by the home World Cup in 2027 and Klaasen undoubtedly would have been the vital cog in South Africa’s batting wheel, come both these prized events.
Heinrich Klaasen’s record speaks for itself, with more than 2000 runs at mouth-watering strike rate of 117 in 60 odd ODIs and 1000 T20I runs at a staggering strike rate of 141.
He was crucial to South Africa soaring to the semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup having scored 373 runs at an average of 41 and a strike rate of 133.
And if these statistics weren’t enviable enough to showcase this man’s calibre, Heinrich Klaasen also ascended his country to the pinnacle of the T20 World Cup in 2024, almost beating India in the final with a crucial 27-ball 52 only to be outclassed by the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah at the end.
A pill tad too bitter to swallow till date if you’re a South African supporter like me, if you were to ask honestly.
With Heinrich Klaasen delivering consistent, classy performances over the past five years, his departure leaves a glaring void — one that won’t be easy to fill and will be hard for fans to digest.
The pressing question now is: who can step up to replace this masterclass in the Proteas’ middle order?
Perhaps that’s a conundrum coach Shukri and his team will have to wrestle with in the days ahead.
