Cricket: Out to impress ... again

Controversial all-rounder Lance Klusener is hoping to use the upcoming World XI games to push his case for a recall to the South African team.

The man whose prodigious boundary-hitting underpinned South Africa's success between 1998 and 2002 has been in outstanding domestic form this summer, and already has an eye on the tour to the West Indies in April.

Klusener, 33, was dropped from the national side last year after South Africa's disastrous tour of Sri Lanka and has played no part in the present series at home against England.

However, South Africa's loss has been the Dolphins' gain, the Durban-based franchise profiting immensely from Klusener's unexpected presence, to the extent that it now leads the four-day SuperSport competition and is in the Standard Bank Cup one-day semi-finals.

Klusener, the captain, at present heads the SuperSport batting averages, is making a typical impact with the bat in the one-day competition, and has also impressed with the ball.

Speaking from Cape Town this week, where his Dolphins side are playing West Province-Boland at Newlands, he said the World XI series was another opportunity to prove his international worth.

"I'm sure a few good performances would catch the attention," he said. "Any opportunity to play against quality opposition must also be a good chance to impress, and I'm naturally mindful of that."

South Africa face a gruelling seven-match shoot-out against England at the end of the present test series, before playing Zimbabwe at home and then heading off to the Caribbean.

Klusener's decision to participate in New Zealand was not made lightly, as it meant him missing an important SuperSport match at the height of the domestic season.

However, he said the cause by far outweighed the inconvenience, and that the New Zealand series might yet prove useful in terms of his international ambitions, which were still very much alive.

"I've played 49 tests and I'd certainly like to get over the 50 mark and beyond, and I'd love to play 200 ODIs - which would mean another 29.

"I'm performing reasonably well over here. I think I've still got something to offer the national side, and - given the opportunity - would be keen to make an impact.

"But in saying that, we've got a new coach and new directors and all the rest, and I'm not sure what their thinking is."

The Player of the Tournament at the 1999 World Cup, and Wisden's 2000 Cricketer of the Year, Klusener was omitted from the 2003 tour to England, and received a further setback shortly after when new captain Graeme Smith publicly accused him of being a disruptive influence.

The combative all-rounder responded with the unheard-of step of suing the United Cricket Board for breach of contract, eventually reaching an out-of-court settlement and gaining a recall later that year.

Klusener, who has twice shattered New Zealand's winning hopes with boundaries off the last ball of games - once at Napier in 1998-99 and once in Cape Town a year later - said he was excited about the prospect of renewing the rivalry.

"New Zealand's always been my most favourite country to tour, so I'm looking forward to getting back - even if it's just for four or five days," he said. "I only wish the circumstances could have been better, and that we weren't being faced by such loss of life and property."

He said his previous experiences in New Zealand meant he would be well-versed in the conditions, and aware of how to best tailor his game to suit the more English-type surfaces.

However, for someone who has spent much of his career varying his pace, the prospect of bowling on fresher wickets that tended to slow up throughout the day was not exactly an unhappy one.

"The only thing that worries me are the relatively short boundaries," he said. "But I do like the New Zealand conditions, they generally assist the guys that bowl change-ups and cutters; the ones who vary their pace. It's the way to go over there, I think."

As for his batting, the facts this summer speak for themselves: six SuperSport matches, 447 runs at 89.40 and two centuries, not to mention more solid form in the one-day competition, where he averages 50.00.

"Yes, it's coming out of the middle nicely right now, and my bowling has also been good, so I'm really looking forward to the rest of our season, as well as the World XI games."

Klusener said he was also looking forward to sharing in the atmosphere of a World XI side, and making a contribution to such a worthy cause as the tsunami appeal.

He will be the only South African in a squad that will include eight Australians, four Sri Lankans, a couple of Englishmen, and two Zimbabweans.

"As players it's something we look forward to because we don't often get the chance to mix these days, given the daily demands of professional cricket.

"Opportunities like this are few and far between, so the games are like a breath of fresh air for the players, and a rare chance for us to get to know each other a little better."

Lance Klusener

Born: September 4, 1971, Durban, Natal.

Major Teams: Natal Country Districts, KwaZulu-Natal, Natal, Nottinghamshire, South Africa, Middlesex, Dolphins.

Test Debut: South Africa v India at Calcutta, 2nd Test, 1996/97.

ODI Debut: South Africa v England at East London, 6th ODI, 1995/96.

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2000