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First Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Why Heinrich Klaasen's sudden retirement presents another threat for South African cricket
South African cricket has been dealing with player exodus for decades now, due to the country's 'Apartheid' policy pre-1994 and later because of Cricket South Africa's quota system as well as the lucrative 'Kolpak' contracts in England. Klaasen's sudden retirement, however, puts the spotlight on another issue. read more Wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen had nearly helped South Africa defeat India in the final of the T20 World Cup in Barbados last year. AP After years of heartbreaks at multiple ICC events, South Africa will be hoping to add a second ICC trophy to their collection when they face Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord's starting Wednesday. India and Australia were widely expected to face each other in a rematch of their 2023 showdown at The Oval until the former's WTC 2023-25 campaign derailed in the last two assignments, and the Proteas not only qualified for the final with the help of seven consecutive wins, they ended up finishing on top of the table. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The all-round excellence of the Australian team, however, isn't the only thing that will be worrying the Temba Bavuma-led South African team along with Shukri Conrad, who recently succeeded Rob Walter in the white-ball formats to become the head coach across formats. Why Heinrich Klaasen's sudden retirement should worry the Proteas Explosive wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen had taken South African fans and the rest of the cricketing world by surprise by announcing his retirement from all formats at the age of 33. It was only a year ago that Klaasen had nearly steered the Proteas to a historic victory over India in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados, with his dismissal triggering a slide that eventually cost them a maiden World Cup title. And even though he's not part of the Test setup, where Ryan Rickelton is the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter ahead of him, Klaasen had cemented his place in the white-ball formats, especially in the T20 cricket in which he remains one of the most explosive batters of the current generation. It's Klaasen's revelation on why he brought the curtains down on his international career on the same day Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell decided to retire from ODIs that should worry the South African team, the board and its well-wishers. 'I felt for a long time that I didn't really care about any of my performances and whether the team won or not. That's the wrong place to be,' Klaasen told Rapport. 'I told him I didn't feel good in my heart about what was going on. I wasn't enjoying it that much. So when he finished as coach and the (contract) negotiations (with CSA) didn't go as planned, it made my decision a lot easier,' he added. South African cricket presented with a fresh headache For South African cricketers, losing established names or promising young talent to greener pastures isn't anything new; several former cricketers such as Allan Lamb and Robin Smith had to fulfill their dream of playing Test cricket with England while the likes of Kepler Wessels represented Australia back when South Africa faced a sporting ban due to its 'Aparthied' policies. And for a majority of the 2000s and 2010s, South Africa would deal with another wave of exodus with several players choosing to play cricket in England, Australia and New Zealand and gaining enough experience to eventually play for their national teams. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This time it wasn't due to government policy but Cricket South Africa's quota system, which placed a cap on the number of 'white' cricketers who could be part of a team – whether at the domestic level or international. And County teams handing out Kolpak contracts – which would allow South Africans to play as local players but would terminate their contracts with CSA – further accelerated this outflow of cricketing talent in the 2010s. While the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, a.k.a. 'Brexit' put to an end the 'Kolpak' problem and allowed several cricketers, including Rilee Rossouw, to represent South Africa once again, Klaasen's sudden retirement highlights the fact that it's the emergence of T20 leagues around the globe that is the latest threat. And the threat was fairly evident during a two-match Test series in New Zealand last year in which CSA ended up sending a second-string team across the ocean while all the first-choice players stayed back to represent their respective franchise in SA20, the country's flagship T20 league that has not only boosted the board's coffers but has also quickly gained popularity and has had an impact on the Proteas' T20 fortunes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A new hope for South African cricket? Coach Shukri Conrad's insistence of 'Country First' however, comes as a source of hope for the South African team and its supporters. Shortly after being named all-formats coach, Conrad expressed faith in his players prioritising national duty over T20 leagues, including the Indian Premier League. 'We're going to put out the best Proteas side every time we play. I've had conversations with our players, all-format players and guys that only play the one format that are contracted to us, that at every turn when the Proteas play, there's an expectation that they'll play for South Africa,' Conrad had said last month. 'The Proteas will never be a franchise team, the Proteas will never be a league, nor will it be a convenience. This is part of building a culture and building an environment that players want to be part of. Every single player is committed to that and wanting to be a part of it so I can quite comfortably say that at every turn the best Proteas side will be put out on the field,' he added. And sure enough, CSA managed to get their WTC-bound players back home in time for their trip to London by 26 May, at the end of the league stage of the Indian Premier League, despite BCCI's attempts at getting them to stay back for the playoffs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And that should give you an idea that Conrad, much like Gautam Gambhir with the Indian team, is someone who means business and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring South Africa not only are crowned World Test Champions but are among the world's top teams across formats going ahead.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Who is Blessing Muzarabani? Meet RCB's 6ft 8in pacer replacing Lungi Ngidi amid fans' concern over Josh Hazlewood's return
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have confirmed the signing of towering Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a temporary replacement for Lungi Ngidi, who will return to South Africa on May 26 to begin preparations for the upcoming World Test Championship final. Muzarabani, known for his 6ft 8in frame and raw pace, joins RCB at a crucial juncture in their IPL 2025 campaign, with the team already securing a place in the playoffs. In an official announcement on Instagram, RCB posted, "6 feet 8 inches tall, 28-year-old Zimbabwean speedster Blessing Muzarabani has been announced as RCB's temporary replacement for Lungi Ngidi, who returns to South Africa on the 26th! Lungi continues to be available for our next home game. Welcome to #ನಮ್ಮRCB, Blessing! 🙌" Who is Blessing Muzarabani? According to ESPNcricinfo, Blessing Muzarabani is widely regarded as Zimbabwe's most promising fast bowler since Heath Streak. Standing at 6ft 8in, his Rabada-like action and ability to generate steep bounce have made him a standout figure in Zimbabwe's cricket revival. He was discovered at age seven at Takashinga Cricket Club and rose quickly through the Mashonaland Eagles and Zimbabwe U-19 ranks. Former captain Tatenda Taibu brought him into the Rising Stars program, and after an impressive domestic stint, Muzarabani earned a Test debut in 2017. Though early international outings didn't bring immediate success, he signed a Kolpak deal with Northamptonshire. Post-Brexit, he returned to Zimbabwe in 2020 and made a strong comeback with a five-wicket haul and a match-winning Super Over against Pakistan. He later played a key role in a Test win over Afghanistan. In T20 leagues, he has featured for Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, and Gulf Giants and was a net bowler for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022. RCB officially qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs In addition to the squad update, Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans finally received the confirmation they were waiting for — RCB have officially qualified for the IPL 2025 playoffs. Following Gujarat Titans' victory over Delhi Capitals on May 18 and the earlier rain-abandoned clash between RCB and KKR, Rajat Patidar and his squad sit comfortably with 17 points from 12 matches, making their playoff position mathematically secure. The qualification brings an air of confidence to the Bengaluru camp, which has shown solid form throughout the season. With two league matches remaining, RCB will now look to fine-tune their strategies ahead of the knockout phase. They are scheduled to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 23 and close their group stage campaign with a fixture against Lucknow Super Giants on May 27. Fans still worried about Josh Hazlewood's return Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, recently provided an update on Josh Hazlewood, confirming that the Australian speedster is yet to join the squad. He revealed that Hazlewood is currently recovering from a shoulder injury and remains under the joint supervision of Cricket Australia and the RCB medical staff. However, despite the official update, fans remain concerned about Hazlewood's availability for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season. With the playoffs approaching and RCB aiming for their first title, fans continue to hope for the return of the experienced pacer to bolster the bowling attack at this critical stage. Meanwhile, Tim David and Phil Salt, two other key foreign players for RCB, have already joined the squad.
