Despite the result, the top scorer on the day, Heinrich Klaasen, is thinking ahead and believes players should be “backed” by the selectors if consistent performances are to exist within the side in the near future. | ✍️ Avuyile Sawula
The Proteas fell 59 runs short in the final ODI match against England in Kimberley on Wednesday but secured the series 2-1.
The Proteas missed out on a series whitewash when they lost to England by 59 runs in the third and final ODI match in Kimberly on Wednesday.
The home side, who went into the game high in confidence after winning the first two matches in Bloemfontein, were bowled out for 287 after England posted 346/7 in their allotted 50 overs.
The top scorer for South Africa was Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 80 runs off 62 balls.
He confessed that for the side to remain consistent, players needed backing from the selectors and management as they navigated their way through this different “brand of cricket.”
“I think that’s where the tricky part is; I don’t think everyone will be consistent,” said Klaasen.
“The players and coaching staff need to keep buying into the plan; hopefully we will get backing throughout this because if we want to play that way, then obviously the consistency will be up and down.
“Sometimes it’ll look really bad, and sometimes it’ll look good—that’s a big challenge for the management and the selectors if they want to keep the consistency in the players, so we can play that particular way.”
Klaasen, who made his ODI debut against India in 2018, has been in and out of the side for various reasons.
However, this year alone, the 31-year-old has put together performances that have reignited his game. He says not caring about getting dropped and having a mental switch have helped his game remain consistent throughout.
“I believe it was in Sri Lanka in 2018 that we had this conversation and realized that all of the coaches wanted to play aggressive cricket, and we did it, and I didn’t come off, and in two games I was dropped and back to seven on the list.
“It was tough for me coming back to play that positive brand of cricket, and at the stage, I just said ‘if this is my last year, it’s my last but I’ll go out the way I want.’
“Since then, I’ve been playing good cricket; I take every series as my last game, and that seems to be freeing me up and allowing me to play the game I like to play.”
He added: “I’m not worried about getting dropped or those things anymore, if they want to drop me, they can drop me. I’ve also learned out of my experience that if I average 4, they drop me; if I average 60, I get dropped, so if they want me in the team, they’ll have me in the team.”
“So after that mental switch I made, my game just became more consistent,” Klaasen ended.
Klaasen will be back in action for the Durban Super Giants when the SA20 resumes, while the Proteas ODI squad will reunite in March for a crucial two-match series against the Netherlands.
