"That will at least put a smile on my face" - South Africa batter sends warning to Pakistan ahead of PAK vs SA 2025 tri-series match
South Africa keeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has warned Pakistan ahead of what is a virtual semi-final between the two in the ODI tri-series on Wednesday, February 12, in Karachi. The right-handed batter stated that knocking Pakistan out and reaching the final would put a smile on his face.
Having lost to New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa will battle for a place in the final when they clash in Karachi on Wednesday. The pressure will be more on Pakistan not only because they are the hosts. They also need to win by a good net run rate as they lost to the Black Caps by a heavy margin of 78 runs.
Speaking at a presser on Tuesday, Klaasen, who didn't play against New Zealand, stated that Pakistan is a different beast in their home conditions. The 33-year-old also believes it's a good warm-up for the tourists to gain knowledge of the conditions and stated:
"Tomorrow is obviously a big day for the series. We played Pakistan not too long ago, but obviously, Pakistan in their conditions are a different beast, so I'm looking forward to that. We just got together today, basically the boys only arrived at 2 o'clock this morning. For the guys that are new to the squad, we've got to do a little bit of homework.
"We've got a nice day out to face these conditions and see what it is like. Obviously, there's a bigger picture in mind as well. The ICC [Champions] trophy is also in play next week, so it's a good exercise for us. If we can knock them out and play in the final, and the home country is not involved, that will at least put a smile on my face."
While South Africa will be boosted by the presence of Klaasen and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj in Karachi, they are still without the likes of Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada.
These players will reportedly reach Pakistan only in the weekend and will come in contention should the Proteas reach the final.
Heinrich Klaasen was South Africa's standout batter during the home ODI series against Pakistan
Klaasen registered 264 runs in three ODIs at 88 against Pakistan during the recent home series even though the tourists swept it 3-0. However, the right-hander didn't have an impressive SA20 2025 for the Durban Super Giants, managing only 198 runs in ten matches at 28.28.
South Africa had piled on 304 against New Zealand in Lahore, spearheaded by Matthew Breetzkee's record-breaking 150. However, their bowling lacked the bite and the Kiwis won with eight balls and four wickets to spare.