KLAASEN TO LEAD PROTEAS IN T20I SERIES AGAINST PAK

Right-handed batsman Heinrich Klaasen will captain South Africa in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Pakistan beginning February 11 in Lahore. He will lead the national team for the first time.

Klaasen has so far played one Test, 17 ODIs and 13 T20Is for the Proteas.

A clean-hitting, wicketkeeper batsman, Heinrich Klaasen emerged on the scene at the same time that Quinton de Kock nailed down a place in the South African team, across all formats. As someone who had always combined the disciplines of batting and glovework, Klaasen hoped to make it in either skill and establish himself as all-round option, if required.

The strategy forms part of the measures put in place by CSA to ensure that the Test squad, captained by Quinton de Kock, can return to South Africa and satisfy the overseas travel Covid-19 quarantine protocol ahead of that team’s three-match, Betway Test Series against Australia, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has compelled sporting bodies to find innovative ways of ensuring tours and sporting events take place as planned or with as little disruption to revised plans as possible. We are not exempt from that, and have had to do a bit of outside-of-the-box thinking to ensure that we are fully prepared for a home Test tour against Australia, while having an exciting T20 series to compete in, in Pakistan,” CSA Director of Cricket Graeme Smith said.

“The circumstances we find ourselves in allow the National Selection Panel to cast a wide net and give some of the young and exciting talent that has been in their sights the opportunity of a lifetime in a T20 World Cup year,” he added.