‘It’s our time’: Klaasen says brilliant Proteas have made a statement

While they still haven’t shaken off the ‘chokers’ tag they have worn for decades, top-order batter Heinrich Klaasen hopes the Proteas’ latest performance has proved how capable they are under pressure.

The SA team thumped England by 229 runs in Mumbai on Saturday, bouncing back from a shock defeat to the Netherlands earlier in the week.

After reaching 399/7, the South Africans bundled out the defending champions for just 170 runs, handing England their biggest ever margin of defeat in ODI cricket.

A settled unit, with a core group who have played together for a few years, the Proteas have been praised for their attacking mindset at the Cricket World Cup, but they have also been criticised for inconsistency.

With their fourth victory of the tournament, however, they settled in third spot in the round-robin standings.

‘Good under pressure’

Having never lifted the World Cup trophy, Klaasen believed they had made a statement against the title holders at the weekend as they set their sights on a place in the semifinals.

“This group has been playing good cricket for the last three years now, and we’ve been maturing nicely,” Klaasen said.

“It’s our time to really try to make a big statement for the world that South Africans are very good under pressure.”

Klaasen made a century on Saturday, shaking off cramps to bash 109 runs as he delivered a standout performance in what was a superb all-round effort by the Proteas. Three other players – Reeza Hendricks (85), Rassie van der Dussen (60) and Marco Jansen (75 not out) – scored half-centuries, while all five bowlers took wickets.

Digging deep

He admitted he had to “dig really deep” in warm conditions, but Klaasen was delighted to have played a key role in taking the game away from England.

“It’s a privilege to play for our country, especially in a moment like this after a bad loss against the Netherlands,” he said.

“You’ve got to dig deep for your country as well. So yeah, I’ve worked my whole life for it, and it’s a great moment.”

South Africa will have just two days rest before their next round-robin match, to be played against Bangladesh in Mumbai on Tuesday.