Rory Kleinveldt - South Africa - Bowling Allrounder

A bowler who can bat a bit, Rory Kleinveldt had a bitter-sweet debut in international cricket. He made his debut in a T20I against Bangladesh in 2008 and got rid of Junaid Siddique with his first ball. Things went pear-shaped immediately and he conceded 20 runs in his next five balls. He failed to contribute with the bat and he was not considered for selection in the national team.

Kleinveldt's contribution in the South African domestic scenario is impressive. He was part of the South African U-19 squad that made it to the finals of the 2002 U-19 tournament. After a brief stint with the South African Academy side, he was chosen to represent Western provinces. After struggling for a few matches, he picked up 6/22 against Border that sealed his place in the team. During his time with the team, he had issues with his weight and that led to one of his team-mates naming him the 'Big Show', a famous WWE wrestler.

Kleinveldt continued to put in the hard work and he was chosen to play for the Cape Cobras. He was part of the South Africa A squad in 2007 and briefly played for Hampshire in the 2008 County Championships as a Kolpak player. He went on to represent the Cobras in the inaugural Champions League T20 held in India where he picked up six wickets in five matches.

He was chosen in the South African team for the T20 World Cup in 2010 and he played against India at St. Lucia. He got the wicket of Murali Vijay in his first over. However, towards the end, he was hit all over the park by Suresh Raina and he finished up with 2/48 in four overs. Since then, Kleinveldt has never found a regular place in the squad. He has always been used as a back-up for the three premier fast bowlers when they are injured or rested. He has only played four Tests and a handful of ODIs. Out of chances given to him he has not been impressive nor made a claim for regular place in the side.

He plays for the Cape Cobras in the South African domestic league. He tested positive for the use of marijuana was immediately dropped from the Cobras T20 campaign in 2012. Since then he has lost some weight and is back into reckoning.


ByAkshay Maanay
As of April 2014