OTD South Africa’s great all-rounder Lance Klusener was born today in 1971

One of cricket’s most prized all-rounders, Lance Klusener, was born on this day, September 4, 1971. When we talk about the Proteas great, it is vital to track back to one of the most iconic Klusener performances. In 2000, South Africa was playing against New Zealand in Durban. The home team was struggling to keep up with New Zealand’s performance, needing 52 runs from 45 balls, which meant they were scoring at just over 4 runs per over. But then Lance Klusener stepped up to bat. He played exceptionally well, scoring 27 runs from just 7 balls. With his amazing 41-run effort from 18 balls, he helped South Africa win the game.

Klusener had a knack for such heroics. He scored an unbeaten 59 runs from 42 balls against New Zealand in Cape Town in 2000, and he hit his first boundary on the second-to-last ball of the match. He also had an unbeaten 27-run performance against West Indies in Johannesburg in 1999 and scored an unbeaten 35 runs from just 19 balls against New Zealand in Napier in 1999. Klusener had a unique and flourishing style of finishing games, which was unlike anything seen in cricket at that time.

Lance Klusener remained an under-achiever all his career

In his Test cricket career, Lance Klusener played 49 matches for South Africa. He scored a total of 1906 runs at an average of 32.86 and took 80 wickets at an average of 37.91. However, these statistics don’t fully capture his remarkable talent and potential. In One Day International (ODI) cricket, Klusener was much more prolific. He accumulated 3576 runs from 171 matches at an impressive average of over 40 and a striking strike rate close to 90. During his ODI career, he recorded 2 centuries and 19 half-centuries.

Notably, Klusener also proved to be a valuable all-rounder in ODIs with 192 wickets to his name. He had an average of 29.95 and maintained an economy rate of 4.70, showcasing his ability to contribute with both bat and ball. He even managed to achieve six 5-wicket hauls in ODIs. While these numbers would be considered excellent for most players, they fell short of fully reflecting Klusener’s immense talent and the expectations placed upon him.