Proteas’ new lion-hearted skipper
KLAASEN: TAKES CHARGE OF PROTEAS T20 OUTFIT AFTER MAJOR COVID SCARE
Difficult to even measure his own form after more than two months out of action.
Heinrich Klaasen not only has the challenge of leading South Africa on his first venture back on to the park since late November due to catching Covid, but also doing it with a Proteas T20 squad that is missing some major personnel.
The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has not played since the second T20 against England in Paarl on 29 November, having tested positive for Covid shortly before the first ODI against the tourists, a series which was eventually cancelled.
Klaasen actually revealed just how badly he was affected by the coronavirus.
“It’s been a difficult summer for me, I’ve only played four games, which has been very frustrating. But I finally recovered after Covid hit me quite hard. It’s difficult to say how my form is, but I’m hitting the ball very nicely in the nets. I’ve worked hard at the Titans to get my rhythm back and I’m looking forward to having a good series after a difficult two months,” Klaasen said from Lahore yesterday.
“For the first 16-17 days I was very sick and could not do much. I couldn’t practise or even run 2030 metres or exercise for two or three minutes without my heartrate getting too high. So I had to go through the protocols to build myself back up again, until I could exercise for 10-15 minutes or walk 200 metres. But it took longer to get my heart-rate under control.
“I needed to get past the phase of it being too dangerous for me to train, which meant two months at home doing nothing. I had a week in the bush and then trained very hard for the last three weeks and I’m fit and safe now,” Klaasen added.
Captaining South Africa for the first time, Klaasen will still have some experienced heads on the field with him, even though the likes of Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje are resting after the Test series.
But Junior Dala, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Andile
Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi and Jon-Jon Smuts are experienced cricketers who will form the core of the side.
“We are by no means a second-string team although a couple of guys aren’t here, but we have rested guys quite a bit in the past. It gives other players an opportunity and they deserve it for the good form they have shown domestically. So we are definitely aiming to win the series and play to the best of our ability. It’s going to be massive for our senior players to step up and I look forward to that.
“A couple of youngsters with unbelievable potential will come in and we want to give those guys more opportunity.”
Pakistan are likewise without seasoned stars in Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim.
The Hong Kong racing season has reached the halfway mark and with 44 meetings to come, trainer Caspar Fownes maintains a slight lead in the battle for champion trainer over the fast-closing John Size.
Fownes holds a two-win lead over Size after Saturday’s meeting, leading 41-39, after both walked away with a winner.
Fownes and Size enter today’s meeting at Happy Valley with good winning chances, with Fownes looking to hold a slight advantage over Size by virtue of numbers.
Quality four-year-old Kurpany should be bouncing back for the win for Fownes in the Class 3 1000m Handicap in Race 8.
The French-bred broke through for a maiden victory in dominant style two starts ago after putting the writing on the wall at his prior start, making full use of barrier No 1 to place ideally and sprinting clear to finish 3.50 lengths clear his nearest rival.
Things turned sour as Kurpany vied for back-to-back wins last start, however, as from barrier No 11 he lunged at the gates and bounded out, losing considerable ground and settling last.
Making up a ton of ground late, Kurpany flew home into fourth with a massive effort.
In a weaker contest this week, Kurpany stands out as the one they all have to outsprint late with Joao Moreira taking over the ride and jumping this time from barrier No 3.
Moreira also partners facile last-start winner Stock Legend, who is primed to score a hattrick of wins in the Class 4 1200m Handicap (Race 7).
Stock Legend put in one of the more impressive wins at city circuit this season, when he smashed his maiden in early October last year.