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Kleinveldt eyes Proteas return

Cape Town - Rory Kleinveldt could easily have spoken about Murphy’s Law – if anything can go wrong, it will – after his experience at St. George’s Park in February 2014 and his knee injury, but the 31-year old South African seam bowler is not despondent at all as his rehabilitation program gathers momentum, reports the supersport.com website.

Kleinveldt was on standby to represent South Africa in the second Test against Australia at St. George’s Park from 20th to 23rd February while Vernon Philander nursed a back injury.

At the last moment, Philander confirmed his availability and played an important role in South Africa’s emphatic 231-run win.

In the third Test at Newlands, Kleinveldt missed out and the selectors preferred Kyle Abbott as fourth seam bowler against the Baggy Greens.

The stalwart of the Cape Cobras has subsequently been kept on the side-lines with a knee ailment described in the medial lexicon of sport as Patellar tendinitis.

He was not considered for selection for the Test series against Sri Lanka and was not in the selection frame for the three ODIs against Zimbabwe either because of the knee injury.

It was an ideal opportunity to get into the SA team as the three frontline seam bowlers, Dale Steyn, Morné Morkel and Philander, were rested.

Mthokozisi Shezi, Marchant de Lange and Abbott were called up to replace them.

But Kleinveldt is not throwing a pity party.

"I know exactly what I have to do to get back into the national squad.

"I have to put up the numbers when representing the Cape Cobras.

"My first aim is to be ready to play for the Cobras in the T20 Champions League.

"After that, I would like to force my way into the reckoning for the Cricket World Cup.

"I would also like to get back into the SA Test team.

"On the quicker wickets in South Africa where there is a bit of grass in it like the Wanderers and Centurion, it might be that the SA team might field just JP Duminy to play a holding role and pick four seam bowlers.

"But I know I have to produce the numbers, like Kyle did before he get back into the Test team," said Kleinveldt.

"The Cobras is a great set-up to be part of.

"Six or seven years ago they went through a lean patch, but now they are making up for that by winning trophies the past few years," he added.

Shane Jabaar, a former SA physiotherapist and currently employed by the Cape Cobras, said Kleinveldt was involved with anti-gravity treadmill concentrated intensive program the past few weeks.

He did shadow bowling on Monday and will probably be bowling fully outdoors next week.

Jabaar expects Kleinveldt to be ready for the Cobras at the start of September.

Kleinveldt represented South Africa in four tests and ten ODI’s.

He is itching to get back into the Proteas squad.

Hopefully, Murphy will not cast his spell on the Cobras seam bowler again soon.

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