My technique changes while facing Jasprit Bumrah: Heinrich Klaasen

Heinrich Klaasen shocked the world with his international retirement a little while ago, as many thought there's quite a lot of cricket left in him to shine bright for South Africa on the biggest stage. However, the wicketkeeper-batter took the decision to prioritize his focus on franchise-based and T20 leagues around the world.

Being largely successful in his technique and innovation in T20 cricket, Klaasen feels that facing a top draw bowler like Jasprit Bumrah is very difficult, especially in the shortest format of the game, where the batters cannot afford to stay quiet for a long time. But the tight line and lengths Bumrah has, Klaasen finds it difficult to hit the accurate deliveries by the 30-year-old.

"I think my technique changes quite a bit to him [Bumrah]. You do open up a little bit because he's full of tricks, in a sense of he doesn't really miss his execution. And he's got some pace as well. Very skiddy bowler. So you want to open certain areas of the ground, but you're also wary of that slower ball that he bowls. I won't say it's one of the hardest bowlers to face, but he's definitely one of the hardest bowlers to score off. He's got an awkward action," Klaasen told Cricbuzz in an interview.

"Obviously, I'm very lucky I don't have to face that new ball against him. I think that's a completely different ball game. With the older ball he works his angles - majority of the deliveries are into us and he doesn't miss... you have to be on your game, so when he misses, you make sure that you can capitalise on it, which he hardly misses," he added.

The stumper-batter further explained the difference between Bumrah's wide and open-chest action, which enforces a change in angle despite bowling from the other side of the wicket, especially to the right handers. Klaasen further told that Bumrah's action helps him swing the ball in like how a left-arm pace of Australia's Mitchell Starc would do to righty batters.

"I think the angle that it [the action] creates on the crease, it's quite wide. Its almost like when Starc comes around and he reverse swings the ball away. It's quite a big angle change. Bumrah just gets that angle into the right handers," the Proteas cricketer told further.