Swing play: Klaasen has the uncanny ability to clear the ropes with ease.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Everyone’s been marvelling at Heinrich Klaasen’s ability to hit sixes, especially against spin, in the ongoing IPL.
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen on commentary referred to Klaasen’s full swing of the bat — begins with a high backlift and ends over his shoulder — and wondered if he plays golf.
Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach James Franklin on April 8 confirmed that Klaasen does play golf.
“Yes, he does play golf. But he hasn’t been playing a lot lately. He’s got his family here. So, in his spare time, he’s spending time with his family, which is great to see,” he said on the eve of his team’s match against Punjab Kings here on Monday.
He picked Klaasen’s swing play, particularly against spin, as the striking attribute. “He’s got an unbelievable ability to pick the length very early, particularly balls that are back of a length. At times, with Klaasen, you get a little bit caught up with what he does against spin.
“I think we’ve also seen in this IPL how good he is against pace. So, he is, if not the best, probably one of the best in the middle-order in world cricket in T20s.”