Heinrich Klaasen wants to show he is the 'best in the world' as impressive form continues

Klaasen missed South Africa's opening match of the tournament due to an elbow issue, but he continued his excellent form in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against England in Karachi. He scored his fifth consecutive half-century in ODIs, playing freely from the number four position as South Africa chased down their target of 180 runs in just 30 overs.

In an interview with Sky Sports after the game, Klaasen revealed that, alongside head coach Rob Walter, he had set an ambitious goal for himself to establish himself as the world's top player throughout the Champions Trophy.

"I set a challenge for myself with Rob Walter on this trip: I want to be the best in the world," Klaasen shared. "But I want to be the best in the world, and I know I can handle tough situations well. For me, it's about continuing to hit the ball on the ground as consistently as I can, like I did tonight. I'm really happy with my performance today. (I scored runs) by standing still and trusting my technique. I know my swing is in good shape, so as long as it clicks, I'm content."

To emphasize his point about hitting along the ground, Klaasen struck 11 fours and no sixes before being caught at short third while attempting to hit the winning runs off Adil Rashid with just six runs needed. "I feel like jumping off a building the way I got out tonight," he joked, but added that he was pleased with his recent form. He also mentioned that he has kept his training routine simple since recovering from his elbow injury.

"I feel very fortunate with my game at the moment and my understanding of it," he explained. "I'm not the type of player who faces all our seamers in the nets. I just focus on a few drills and face some spin. Right now, I'm meeting the ball well from the middle of the bat. That's my key, and as long as my technique is solid, I'm happy."

Klaasen, 33, has been in the best form of his career since turning 30, and he said he's focused on keeping things as straightforward as possible, reacting to each ball rather than overthinking it. "It's about standing still," he said. "It was about three years ago that I really started working hard on just staying still, not overthinking the game too much."

Aiden Markram, who captained South Africa in place of the ill Temba Bavuma, praised Klaasen's form: "It's always fantastic to see him out there. He's been in unbelievable form for many months, and for him to return after a little niggle with his elbow and look like he never missed a beat is a great sign for us."

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