Heinrich Klaasen has been a mainstay of the South African batting line up for the last few years. He’s a good player of spin and now he’s stepping back from international cricket and will only play in franchise leagues. That’s bad news for South Africa, especially with the T20 World Cup in 2026 and the ODI World Cup at home in 2027 coming up. They’ll need to find someone for that middle order spot. Here are a few who might fit the bill:
1. Tristan Stubbs:
A young talent, Stubbs has been part of the squad in various formats but struggled to get into the ODI lineup due to competition. Now that Klaasen has retired, he could slot into the number 5 spot regularly. He’s played one game in the Champions Trophy 2025 and nine ODIs overall but has a century and a fifty already so he’ll have a chance to settle into the 50 over format.
2. Dewald Brevis:
Known as the Baby AB, Brevis has been in good form lately, averaging 48.50 in the SA20 2025 with a strike rate of 180. He carried that into the IPL and has matured as a player after some ups and downs early in his career. He’s only played two T20Is but with Klaasen gone, he might get more opportunities. Brevis has big hitting skills and is due for his first ODI call up as he averages over 48 in List A cricket.
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3. Donovan Ferreira:
Ferreira has made a name for himself as a finisher in South African domestic cricket. He’s been part of the T20I setup for a couple of years but not regularly featured. With the opening after Klaasen’s retirement, he might get the chance to slot into the lower middle order. He has a strike rate of 157.99 in T20 cricket and performs well in List A matches so he’s a good candidate to fill Klaasen’s shoes in the white ball format.
