In June of 2025, Heinrich Klaasen announced his international retirement despite being at the peak of his powers. He brought an end to his seven-year South Africa career to focus on T20 leagues. Known
for his ability to clear boundaries with surreal ease, Klaasen played 4 Tests, 60 ODIs and 58 T20Is.
As South Africa begin their 2026 ICC T20 World Cup campaign, former England captain Nasser Hussain has termed Klaasen’s absence as “odd” and suggested South Africa should have done more to ensure the batting star remained part of their setup.
“Heinrich Klaasen’s absence is odd,” Hussain said on JioHotstar. “Just look at the year South African cricket has had, both men and women; it’s been incredible. Despite all the challenges South African cricket has faced and the way they have managed them, this is one situation I would have liked them to handle differently.”
Klaasen scored 1,000 runs in 58 T20Is at a strike rate of 141.84, while his ODI numbers were even more telling: 2,141 runs at an average of 43.69, including four centuries.
He also featured briefly in Tests. Still active on the global T20 circuit, Klaasen has amassed more than 6,000 runs in domestic and franchise leagues, underlining the quality South Africa will be without as they build towards the next T20 World Cup.
“I do not know if they could have managed it better, but I would have gone to him and said, ‘I do not care what you do, you are such a key player for us. When we get to India and Sri Lanka for a T20 World Cup, you are my number one pick, and I want you there.’ It may have happened, or it may not have, I don’t know. He may have said, ‘No, that’s not for me, I’m moving on,’ and that’s fine because everyone is replaceable. Every single cricketer is replaceable. But he is such a good player, especially against spin, which is going to be crucial in this tournament. So that is a blow for South Africa,” he added.
