Hashim Amla: News

Class and elegance—no other words can describe South African cricketer Hashim Amla better. A batsman who epitomized calmness when he was in the crease; who enthralled the fans with his shots on the backfoot; who made flicks on the on-side look easy; who made it clear that he was one of the best by the time he retired—that was Amla. For someone who scored over 9,000 runs in Tests and more than 8,000 runs in ODIs, the start to his international career wasn't all rainbows and unicorns. There were doubts about his technique, high backlift, and mental fortitude to be successful at the international level. It was a century against New Zealand in 2006 that changed the tide for him. Success ensued since then. In 2012, against England, Amla scored the first-ever triple-century by a South African player. He is the fastest player to reach 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 6,000, and 7,000 runs in ODIs. In 2014, Amla became the first non-white, permanent captain of South Africa but stepped down in 2016. Amla retired from international cricket in 2019.