Former England batter Kevin Pietersen has called on Cricket South Africa (CSA) to bring Heinrich Klaasen back into international cricket, saying it could boost their chances of winning their first-ever Cricket World Cup in 2027 on home soil.
His comments came after Klaasen played a brilliant knock of 65 not out against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2026, helping Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secure an important win.
Pietersen feels South Africa should move quickly and try to convince Klaasen to return and play a key role in their World Cup plans.
South Africa have never won a cricket world cup!
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) April 30, 2026
There should be a phone call this morning, from the South African cricket board, to Heinrich Klaasen, to ask him if he can rejoin international cricket and be a central figure in their campaign to try and win their first ever…
"South Africa have never won a cricket world cup! There should be a phone call this morning, from the South African cricket board, to Heinrich Klaasen, to ask him if he can rejoin international cricket and be a central figure in their campaign to try and win their first ever world cup which will be in South Africa next year" Pietersen posted on X.
Klaasen had stepped away from international cricket in 2025 so he could focus on playing in T20 leagues around the world. Since his debut for South Africa in 2018, the 34-year-old has played 60 ODIs and scored 2,141 runs at an average of nearly 44, with a strike rate of 117.05. He has also hit four centuries, with his highest score being 174 against Australia in 2023.
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He was also one of South Africa’s standout players in the 2023 World Cup, where he scored 373 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 133.21. That tournament included a memorable century against England at the Wankhede Stadium.
Klaasen’s possible return could be a big boost for South Africa, who have been performing strongly in recent ICC events. They reached the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup, and finished runners-up in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. More recently, they went on to win the World Test Championship in 2025 by beating Australia in the final at Lord’s under captain Temba Bavuma.