Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has called on Cricket South Africa to pick up the phone and bring Heinrich Klaasen back into the national setup ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, which South Africa will host on home soil.
The call came after Klaasen produced one of the innings of this IPL season — a devastating 65 runs off just 30 balls — to help Sunrisers Hyderabad chase down Mumbai Indians’ 243-run target at Wankhede Stadium on April 29, 2026.
Pietersen’s Direct Message to Cricket South Africa
Pietersen did not have any punches pulled. He had something to say on X.
“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 wrote.
He then made a second post: “Those who wrote Heinrich Klaasen off hey?! He’s just unbelievable!”
The message is clear. South Africa are hosting the World Cup in 2027. They have never won the tournament. Klaasen is playing the best cricket. The case, as Pietersen sees it, is clear.
What Klaasen Did Against the Mumbai Indians
SRH were chasing 244, a total that would have broken most teams. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma got them off to a flying start, sharing 129 runs for the first wicket. Head made 76 off 30 balls, Abhishek contributed 45 off 24.
When Klaasen arrived, the platform was set, but the job was far from done. He finished it off in style. His 65 not out off 30 balls, combined with late contributions from Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10 balls), saw SRH home in 18.4 overs with six wickets to spare.
Klaasen was named Player of the Match. Speaking after the game, he kept his assessment measured. “It’s nice to contribute to the team. It’s a great win for us, and hopefully we can repeat it at home,” he said. He credited the openers for making his job easier, noting that when the top order goes hard early, it takes pressure off the middle order.
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Klaasen’s Return is Vital for 2027 World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 will be held in South Africa. For a country that has continually missed the mark in international cricket, the World Cup is their best chance yet to end the drought.
Klaasen, who can cleanly hit the ball at any stage of an innings, is the sort of player who can single-handedly save knockout games. The IPL has helped prove that point this year.
It’s unclear whether Cricket South Africa will heed Pietersen’s warning. But a year away from the tournament and with Klaasen hitting like this, it’s no longer a moot point.
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