Heinrich Klaasen stands at the forefront among the premier six-hitters in white-ball cricket. He has seamlessly translated this proficiency into success in the IPL and various other leagues worldwide.
In an exclusive interview given to Cricbuzz, the South African dynamo delved into the meticulous two-year journey he undertook to refine his ability to hit sixes, his comprehensive preparation strategies against spin bowlers, his utilization of data, his admiration for several childhood batting idols and the reason behind choosing jersey number 45.
The significance of jersey number 45
During the interview, when Klaasen was asked about his idol batter during childhood, the South African batter answered that he admired Chris Gayle in his childhood. He loved the way Gayle dominated the bowlers, and hence, he chose his jersey number to be 45, as it was the same one Gayle used.
“I haven’t really had one specific guy that I looked up to. I’ve always gone through stages. At the start, it was Chris Gayle. I just loved how he dominated any kind of bowler. That’s why I’ve got Number 45 on my back, he was the reason behind it,” said Klaasen, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Talking further about the batters he idealized as a child, Klaasen named Australian legend Mathew Hayden, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, and Michael Clarke.
“I went through a stage where I watched a lot of Matthew Hayden. The way he played his game. Then Brendon McCullum, when he went through the phase of teeing off against everyone, and then I went through a phase where I looked at how Michael Clarke played spin. I tried to copy a little bit of his technique into my spin play. I went through a lot of phases where I liked certain types of batters and how they played,” he added.
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Klaasen names his favourite venue to play
Klaasen named the Super Sport Park Cricket Stadium of Centurion and Boland Park Stadium of Paarl as his two favourite stadiums to bat in South Africa. When talking about India, he said that he loves to bat in Hyderabad and Mumbai.
“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 favorite. The mountains in the backdrop and the sun set looks just unbelievable. In the IPL, I 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,” the 32-year-old stated.
