Nod for ‘tidy’ Klaasen
CHIEF SELECTOR: IT WAS CLOSE BETWEEN HIM AND KNIGHTS’ RUDI SECOND Veteran Morne Morkel, back to full fitness, returns.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Heinrich Klaasen was celebrating a first callup to the South African squad for their Test series against New Zealand yesterday, convenor of selectors Linda Zondi saying a “positive presence at the crease” had played a large part in his selection.
The Titans player has looked a top-class talent since his days with the Tuks Varsity team and he now follows his skipper from his student days, Theunis de Bruyn, into the Test squad as one of the back-up players, having scored 635 runs in four-day cricket this season, at an average of 48.84.
Zondi confirmed that it was a close-run thing between Klaasen and Rudi Second of the Knights, who scored 684 runs at 52.61, with the 25-year-old Klaasen being considered a closer match in terms of approach to Quinton de Kock, the player he is understudying.
“It was a very close call and it could have gone either way. Rudi is a very experienced player and is definitely not out of our plans, but we just felt Heinrich has a positive presence at the crease, he’s tidy behind the stumps and there’s something about him.
“He’s a good striker of the ball, a fearless cricketer. We’ve watched him a lot and we feel he can play the same role as Quinton de Kock,” Zondi said yesterday.
While the presence of De Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, De Bruyn and Klaasen makes it a young squad, the selectors have also recalled veteran Morne Morkel, 32, who has not played a Test in more than a year.
Morkel is only two 50-over games into his comeback from serious back issues, but Zondi said they wanted some experience around to guide a young attack. Vernon Philander has played 40 Tests, but Keshav Maharaj (four), Wayne Parnell (five), Rabada (14), Olivier (one) and Chris Morris (two) have played just 26 Tests between them.
“We’ve been guided by our medical team with Morne and he’s 100% fit. We want him to play more games, but his extra experience is required. We’re quite comfortable in terms of all-rounders, so Morne must just go there and compete,” Zondi said.