Klusener takes on Shoaib (6 June 1999)

6 June 1999

Klusener takes on Shoaib

Trevor Chesterfield

Nottingham (England) - You are going read and hear a lot more about the explosive exploits of Lance Klusener as this year's World Cup progresses and the weather continues to remain wet, miserable and hardly complimentary in terms of summer.

Although Klusener, who earned his fourth man of the match accolade in this tournament at Trent Bridge on Saturday, hardly enjoys any form of limelight and feels a touch embarrassed everytime he has to step out and collect the champagne magnum, is also ver y aware of the importance of his role in South Africa's current top-order batting malaise.

Whether it is establishing records or trying to duck the after match media conference and focus of TV cameras, there is the distinct feeling man known as Zulu, would rather face the 91 to 95 mph deliveries of the Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar than hav e to sit in with his skipper and tell world what he feels or thinks.

On Saturday he batted with a new, especially made bat as a replacement to the broken in the game against Zimbabwe, smashed a match-winning 46 of 41 balls and went on to establish a record: 396 runs in nine undefeated limited-overs international innings, w hich parted the world record from the grasp of Pakistan's Javed Miandad who in 1992-93.

The last time Klusener was dismissed in an LOI game was in New Zealand and since then he has played with all the flamboyant flair of a batsman at ease with his game and himself. In 17 LOI games this year, which includes the series against the West Indies, New Zealand and now World Cup '99 he has logged impressive statistics: 653 runs, a mouth-watering average of 130.60, a strike rate of 104.64 (divided by a rate of facing 100 balls). His 33 wickets at 18.03 with an economy rate of 4.22.

Against Pakistan he scored 58% of his runs through the off-side, a large number of which were through the covers where a sweeper normally lurks on the boundary.

Yet, when asked what he thought about the bowling of Shoaib Akhtar there was the feeling he had expected something a little more challenging, especially after the Pakistan manager, Dr Zafar Altaf admitted that Klusener had featured largely in their discus sions, but blithely wanted to know 'how do you stop someone who hits the ball so hard?'

Klusener's own views were that he thought Shoaib might mix up the length of the deliveries: short ones with those of a fuller length, but he had not expected them to be that short and felt the runs were there for the taking.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield