Follow UsHeinrich Klaasen has been in a rich vein of form in ODIs for quite some time now, and he proved his credentials yet again as one of the best batters in the white ball formats by hitting a 56-ball 64 that helped South Africa defeat England by seven wickets. This was South Africa’s second win in three games, with one being a washout.
Meanwhile, for Klaasen, this ICC Champions Trophy is also a stage to establish himself as the best in the world in a tournament played by the top eight ODI teams.
“I gave myself a challenge with Rob Walter this trip: I want to be the best in the world," Klaasen told Sky Sports post-match.
"But I want to be the best in the world, and I know I can play situations well, and for me, just to keep hitting it on the ground for as long as possible, like I did tonight [is important]. I'm quite pleased with my innings tonight. [I scored runs] by standing still and just trusting my technique. I know my swing is good, so as long as it clicks then I am quite happy.”
Klaasen was batting in such good flow that he rued getting out swinging against Adil Rashid when South Africa needed only eight more runs to win the game. He was feeling so miserable, that he joked that, “I want to jump off this building, the way I went out tonight.”
While it might be said in good fun, this is a sign that Klaasen believes in the process he follows for every game. His mantra is very clear: focus on the technique and keep things absolutely simple.
“I think I'm very blessed at the moment where I'm with my game and understanding my game quite well," the 33-year-old wicketkeeper batter said.
"I'm not a guy that faces all our seamers in the nets. I just do a couple of drills and face a little bit of spin. At the moment, I'm meeting the ball out of the middle of the bat. That's my piece that I go with, and as long as my technique is good, I'm quite happy.
“It's about standing there still," he said. "It was about three years ago that I really worked hard on that, just standing there still, not premeditating the game too much.”