Klusener sounds his battle cry (10 June 1999)

10 June 1999

Klusener sounds his battle cry

Peter Deeley

'Bayete' was the cry chiefs of the Zulu tribe uttered when they went into battle against the British in the 19th century.

Roughly translated, it means 'attack' or 'kill' - and who now better to utter the chilling imprecation than Lance Klusener, otherwise known as 'Zulu', who has shot to fame in this World Cup on the basis of his philosophy of total aggression.

It will be New Zealand's turn at Edgbaston today to face the Klusener war cry which has brought him 210 runs in the tournament without being dismissed.

In all, the 27-year-old son of a Natal chicken farmer has now scored 396 in nine one-day international innings since anyone claimed his wicket, beating a 16-year record held by Pakistan's Javed Miandad. And the last man to dismiss him, in Christchurch in February, was New Zealand's Geoff Allott, one of his opponents today.

New Zealand more than most have felt the full brunt of Klusener's ferocious hitting.

In recent one-day meetings, New Zealand have twice choked at the death when facing Klusener. He hit a six off the last ball from Dion Nash to win a game in Napier while in Brisbane he caught a swirling skier to dismiss the last New Zealand batsman again off the final ball.

New Zealand coach Steve Rixon wryly commented: "Well, we've seen the worst of Klusener now."

But have they? In training at Edgbaston yesterday, South African coach Bob Woolmer was tossing up slow balls which Klusener greedily hammered many rows back into the stands, like an artillery gunner getting the range of the enemy positions.

Klusener rose to corporal in the South African defence force during the apartheid era. Then military service was compulsory but he apparently so liked the regimented life that he extended his term of duty to three years.

He came from his father's sugar cane farm in northern Natal, growing up with a nanny who spoke only Zulu and alongside the children of the black farm workers where English was almost an incomprehensible tongue.

He says of those days: "Then you start thinking the way they think and appreciate the things they appreciate. A lot of westerners forget about nature and take a lot of small things for granted, like a tap. But a lot of Zulus have to fetch their water from a river."

That awareness of the importance of basics has stayed with Klusener - not least in his cricket. Woolmer has wisely avoided trying to mould or stereotype him, happy to leave him to do what comes naturally.

For Klusener, that is hitting the ball as hard and as long as he can with his weighty 3 lb 2 oz bat.

Woolmer says: "Lance is not lucky or anything like that. He practices his hitting for an hour each day, belting the ball. No ground is big enough for him."

To date, Klusener's 14 wickets, along with his runs, have won him four man-of-the-match awards. And there's the rub. He may enjoy the champagne but loathes the necessity of having to turn up and talk to the media.

As a boarder at Durban High School - which produced Barry Richards - Klusener was a late developer, only in his final year making the first team - as an opening bat. Klusener entered Test cricket with a flourish. Within four games, he had scored a 100-ball century then taken eight wickets in an innings.

Like the Zulu warriors of long ago, Klusener has an unwavering belief in his own power. It's an attitude that fits well with a man whose motto is 'Go big or go home'.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph