KARACHI: South Afri­ca’s Heinrich Klaasen has been in top form lately, scoring fifties in his last five matches. But the wicket-keeper/batter has set his sights on a bigger goal during the ICC Champions Trophy: to become the best in the world.

Klaasen, fourth in the ICC’s world rankings for batsmen in One-day Internationals, scored 64 off 56 balls on Saturday to help South Africa qualify for the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a seven-wicket win over England.

“I gave myself a challenge with [South Africa head coach] Rob Walter this trip. I want to be the best in the world,” Klaasen told Sky Sports after the match in Karachi.

“I know I can play situations well and for me, just to keep hitting it on the ground for as long as possible, like I did tonight” is important.

“I’m quite pleased with my innings tonight... standing still and just trusting my technique. I know my swing is good, so as long as it clicks, then I’m quite happy.”

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2025