Former England batter Kevin Pietersen has called on South Africa’s team leadership to consider bringing Heinrich Klaasen back from international retirement as the Proteas chase a breakthrough at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 in their own country. Klaasen stepped away from international cricket in June last year, but he has been in fine touch during the ongoing IPL, representing Sunrisers Hyderabad. In the current season so far, he sits as the second-leading run-scorer, accumulating 414 runs across nine innings at an average of 59.14 and a strike rate of 157.41. He has struck four half-centuries in that run tally.
Speaking on X on Thursday, Pietersen made a direct plea to South Africa’s administrators. He wrote: “South Africa have never won a cricket world cup! There should be a phone call this morning, from the South African cricket board, to Heinrich Klaasen, to ask him if he can rejoin international cricket and be a central figure in their campaign to try and win their first ever World Cup, which will be in South Africa next year.”
Pietersen also underlined that while any return would ultimately depend on Klaasen himself, the idea is not beyond the realm of possibility. He pointed to a recent example from within South Africa’s ranks: last year, wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock reversed his white-ball retirement, later featuring in the ICC T20 World Cup and the 2027 World Cup on home soil, where he produced several strong displays.
Klaasen’s previous international record provides context for why his potential comeback could be viewed as impactful. Over a seven-year span from 2018 to 2025, he scored 3,245 runs in 122 international matches at an average of 32.45, striking at 117.40. His output included four centuries and 16 fifties, with a top score of 174. His Test career was shorter, yielding 104 runs from four matches, but across limited-overs cricket he built a reputation as a dependable Proteas contributor.
In ODIs, Klaasen amassed 2,141 runs in 60 matches at an average of 43.69, with a strike rate just over 117. His ODI haul featured four hundreds and 11 fifties, with his highest score of 174 coming in 56 innings. In T20Is, he made 1,000 runs in 58 games, coming in 53 innings, at an average of 23.25 and a strike rate above 141. That included five fifties and a best score of 81.
Klaasen’s profile has also been shaped by his performances on the biggest stages. He was particularly prominent during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India, where he struck 373 runs in 10 innings at 41.44, maintaining a strike rate of 133.21. His tournament included a century and a fifty. While he did not manage to make a significant mark in the 2021 T20 World Cup, he still finished as South Africa’s second-highest run-scorer and the side’s tenth overall, compiling 190 runs in eight innings at an average of 31.66 and a strike rate of 126.66. His standout knock in that event was a 52 against India in the final, even though South Africa fell short in the chase of 177, losing by seven runs.
The ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against New Zealand in Lahore last year marked Klaasen’s most recent appearance in international cricket.
