Klaasen goes guns blazing in positive Proteas contribution: 'If I get out, I'll do so my own way'

Before gliding into the Proteas' T20 XI on the back of Quinton de Kock's wrist injury in Cuttack on Sunday, Heinrich Klaasen's previous international appearance was on 26 October last year against the West Indies in the ICC T20 World Cup.

After that match, his career at the highest level looked as dead in the water as the team's wiggle room to decide individually how they gesture the Black Lives Matter movement following Cricket South Africa's (CSA) well-meant but controversial directive hours before play started.

Ever since, the 30-year-old Titans star has truly been performing like a man who has one last chance to make a decent fist of playing at the highest level, a mission rendered even more important by the fact that he'd lost his national contract earlier.

In the 2021/22 domestic season, Klaasen scored more than a 1 000 runs across all three formats, finishing his side's leading scorer in both the T20 Challenge and One-Day Cup.

He duly returned to the national team for the current T20 series against India, but only as a backup batter and reserve wicketkeeper.

Once it became apparent De Kock couldn't properly launch deliveries with the bat, Klaasen was in.

READ | 'Finish and klaar' for Proteas? Hardly... Heinrich seizes lifeline

A powerful 81 off 46 balls was the result ... and he did so by employing the same freedom he's granted himself throughout the year.

"I actually found myself struggling up front," said Klaasen, whose first 12 deliveries only fetched 4 runs.

"So when I took that into account as well as the buildup over international cricket over the past six months, I decided that if I go out today, I'd rather do so my way and try to be positive. Thankfully, it was one of those days where it came off."

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