Lance Klusener (born 4 September 1971) is a South African cricket coach and former international cricketer. Renowned for his aggressive batting and fast-medium swing bowling, he is regarded as one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket during the 1990s and early 2000s, and among the pioneers of power-hitting in the finisher's role in limited-overs cricket.
| Full name | Lance Klusener |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 September 1971 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Nickname | Zulu |
| Role | All-rounder (right-hand batter, right-arm fast-medium swing bowler) |
| Current role | Cricket coach |
| Notable coaching appointment | Head coach, Afghanistan national cricket team (appointed September 2019) |
Klusener earned the nickname "Zulu" on account of his fluency in the Zulu language, a reflection of his upbringing in South Africa. His comfort with indigenous South African languages has continued into his post-playing career, in which he has occasionally provided cricket commentary in both Zulu and Xhosa.
Klusener combined hard-hitting lower-order batting with fast-medium swing bowling, making him a genuine all-format all-rounder. He was particularly celebrated for:
His approach to power-hitting in one-day cricket is widely viewed as having influenced the way later generations of finishers approached the format.
After retiring from playing, Klusener moved into coaching. In September 2019, he was appointed head coach of the Afghanistan national cricket team.
Alongside his coaching engagements, Klusener has worked occasionally as a cricket commentator, notably broadcasting in Zulu and Xhosa.