Captain Heinrich Klaasen will rely on a Tshwane Spartans squad laden with international experience, come Wednesday’s Mzansi Super League fixture against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Klaasen has succeeded former Spartans captain AB de Villiers, who is still part of the squad, which also features Netherlands all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe, England fast bowler Tom Curran, former Proteas pace ace Morne Morkel and others.

‘These guys are experienced cricketers. They’ve played all around the world, they’re extremely talented cricketers as the stats show, so for me it’s a good way to learn new things and it’s exciting,’ said Klaasen.

‘It’s a huge honour to lead them, but I see it more as me learning from them rather than leading them. It will be about finding the right balance and managing the way how I handle things.

‘If we look at the squad, it’s a really strong squad and it’s been fun so far. There are good energies already around the team, so hopefully it will be easy for me from a captaincy perspective and I don’t have to do too much. I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.’

The Spartans will head into the fixture in the wake of a washout with the Durban Heat at Kingsmead, while the Stars beat the Jozi Stars at St George’s Park.

‘I think this season it’s game by game. We know the players in every team, so for me it’s all about focusing on our skills. Then the day before the game we look at the opposition and on the day it’s all about execution. Hopefully we adapt quickly and stay ahead of the game,’ added Klaasen.

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