Heinrich Klaasen, known for his exceptional six-hitting ability, discussed his approach to the game and the evolution of his batting style in an exclusive interview. He attributed his success to the work he has done with Albie Morkel over the last couple of years, focusing on maintaining the right swing shape and launch angle for his shots.
Klaasen emphasized the importance of simplicity in his approach now, compared to earlier in his career when he felt the need to showcase all his skills. He said, “I think it is a lot simpler. I’ve definitely matured a lot. I am not trying to impress anyone anymore. I think back then it was almost like I had to show off all my skills that I’ve got and I was also compared to a guy who can play 360 degrees [AB de Villiers]. So I wanted to show all the shots that I had which messed with my mind quite a bit. Through learning and my experiences, through the years, I’ve been dropped and my game was in such terrible shape that I really had to go rediscover who the real Heinrich Klaasen was.”
Regarding his game against spinners, Klaasen revealed that he experiments a lot in the nets to find new ways to score against them. He highlighted the importance of adapting to the bowlers’ gameplans and evolving his own game to stay ahead of them. He said, “I experiment quite a bit with playing spin. Trying to see what type of balls I can hit for a six. It doesn’t always look good in the nets but you can almost manufacture shots there that you can go okay, in a game if you are really under the pump, you can manufacture something.”
In terms of preparation, Klaasen mentioned that he focuses on studying videos of his own performances in matches where he did well, as well as analyzing opposition bowlers to understand their strengths and weaknesses. He said, “If I am looking at videos, I’d really get into the matches that I performed well in. I’d go check how the bat swing looks from the games I’ve played in the past. Then I do a lot of homework on spinners in a sense of where they miss and where they’re likely to bowl to me.”
Lastly, Klaasen discussed his favorite venues to play in, including Super Sport Park and Boland Park in South Africa, as well as the IPL venue in Hyderabad. He also shared his experience of standing up to the stumps for a stumping opportunity, which he enjoys but doesn’t get to do often at the international level.
“I am going to be very biased. It’s two in South Africa. Super Sport Park – I don’t think there’s any better place in the world to play cricket at, especially on a Friday night. And Boland Park (Paarl) has always been my favourite. The mountains in the backdrop and the sun set looks just unbelievable.obviously enjoy Hyderabad. The wicket has been fantastic there. But probably one of the loudest places I’ve been to is Mumbai. It’s a nice wicket too, as well and a great atmosphere,” he added.
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