Proteas ‘in a good space’ ahead of World Cup, says in-form Klaasen

Having done a 180-degree turn, showcasing some of their best form ahead of the World Cup, Proteas batter Heinrich Klaasen believes the national cricket side have proved they are ready to challenge for the global trophy.

Klaasen hit a career-best 174 at a strike rate of 209.63 in Centurion on Friday, carrying South Africa to a 164-run victory over Australia, as the hosts drew the ODI series level at 2-2 with one game to play.

And while they struggled to hit their straps in the first half of the home tour, failing to build partnerships with the bat or take control with the ball, Klaasen felt they had since shown that they just needed to start clicking.

‘Nailing the basics’

“I think our batting unit is in a very good space,” said Klaasen, who shared a remarkable 222-run stand for the fifth wicket on Friday with David Miller (82 not out).

“All our guys are in form, we’ve got runs under our belts, and we’ve got a lot of experience in India (where the World Cup starts next month),” he added.

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“We’re fortunate enough to have played quite a bit of cricket over the years in India, so there’s a lot of knowledge in the batting and bowling units.

“For us it’s just to nail the basics and bring the intensity, which we did a lot better today.”

The series deciding fifth and final ODI between South Africa and Australia will be played at the Wanderers on Sunday, starting at 10am.