Hashim Amla - breaking into the league of extraordinary gentlemen

By Nishad Pai Vaidya

The No 1 Test side – one that boasts of being the unchallenged kings on home soil – submitted to the might of the Proteas. While England found the pace of Dale Steyn and Co. was too hot to handle, it was the grace and elegance of Hashim Amla’s that set up the thumping triumph for the South Africans. The scintillating triple hundred – the first by a South African in Test cricket – lit up The Oval and tackled the formidable English attack with ease. Over the last few years, Amla has moved from strength to strength and has established himself as one of the best batsmen in the world, but his latest epic puts him in an elite category of batsmen and promises to build a greater aura.

Amla’s demeanour on the cricket field is exemplary in the day and age where cricketers indulge in practices that aren’t exactly gentlemanly. He goes about his job with minimal fuss and doesn’t let external factors affect his game. Despite rising through the ranks to become an international superstar, Amla is incorruptible and hasn’t lost touch with his values. It is this remarkable spirit that allows him to stand by his ideals, be it refusing to wear the logo of the liquor company sponsoring the South African team or staying away from the much-maligned Indian Premier League (IPL). Through all that, his unwavering concentration has helped him script knocks of fantastic substance.

When Amla burst on to the scene, the whole hype surrounding his inclusion was due to his Indian roots. Ironically, he walked into Test cricket against India at the iconic Eden Gardens, but didn’t make an early impression. There were a few concerns surrounding his technique during his early days. His backlift looked unorthodox; it came at an angle from gully and there were times when he was caught on the crease. He returned to the South African team in 2006, but it took him sometime to ease into international cricket before making his mark. Even today, his backlift looks a bit different, but the moment it comes down to meet the ball, it has touch of class, elegance and tremendous balance written all around it.

Since the year 2010, Amla has hit a purple patch – one during which he has piled centuries and consistently inflicted misery on the opposition with his classy strokeplay. The tour to India in early 2010 was the turning point as he stroked three centuries in only two Tests – which included the epic match-winning 253 not out at Nagpur. With Graeme Smith at the top and Jacques Kallis, AB deVilliers in the middle, Amla forms a formidable link between the two factions of the line-up – a dependable force that can adapt to the situation.

The triple hundred has pushed Amla’s career average above 50. If one compares his numbers with those of the modern greats at similar stages (after 60 Test match appearances) in their respective careers, he is right up there with the best. 

Here are the said stats:

 

Player	M	Runs	Avg	100s	50s	Highest
Brian Lara	60	4925	49.25	10	27	375
Hashim Amla	60	4775	50.26	15	23	311*
Rahul Dravid	60	4733	51.44	10	26	200*
Sachin Tendulkar	60	4344	53.62	15	19	179
Ricky Ponting	60	3973	47.86	13	16	197
Jacques Kallis	60	3971	47.27	9	22	189*

 

At a similar stage, only Lara had scored more runs that Amla. His average is only bettered by Tendulkar and Dravid. The most significant aspect is that he has scored the same number of tons Tendulkar had recorded after playing 60 Test matches. These are phenomenal numbers and truly reflect the effect he has had on the South African batting in the last few years. His consistency is at par with the modern greats and with a number of years ahead of him, one can only imagine where he may end up once he decided to call it a day.

Interestingly, Amla’s record away from home is significantly better than his numbers on South African soil. Be it the subcontinent where the batsmen have to grind and fight the turn or England where the ball can move viciously, he has runs to show irrespective of the conditions:

	M	Runs	Avg	100s	50s	Highest
Home	32	2256	43.38	8	12	176*
Away	26	2255	56.37	6	9	311*
Nuetral venues	2	264	88.00	1	2	118*

 

Stereotyped as a Test player in the early stages of his career, Amla has broken the shackles and silenced his critics. He may not look a very aggressive player, but scores as fast as anyone in the one-day arena. His statistics in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) are getting better and better with the passage of time and along with Graeme Smith, he has forged a successful partnership at the top.  

M	Runs	Avg	100s	50s	Highest	Strike-rate
57	2881	56.49	9	18	140	91.43

 

In one-day cricket, teams look for the right combination of a healthy average and a good strike-rate. Amla numbers more than justify the faith of the South African selectors – who blooded him into the ODI team when sceptics questioned the move. For batsmen who have played more than 50 ODIs, Amla’s average is the highest and his nine hundreds and 18 fifties give ample evidence of his remarkable consistency. 

In a Test series that was marked as the tussle for the top spot, South Africa have delivered the first blow. Amla’s enormous powers of concentration helped them script a fantastic comeback and this performance has set the tone for the Proteas’ march towards the top. In 2003, Smith kick-started his campaign in England with two double tons and announced his arrival at the highest level. With the triple, Amla may have pushed his way into the league of extraordinary gentlemen.

 

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a club-level cricketer with an analytic mind and a sharp eye. It was this sharpness which spotted a wrong replay in IPL4 resulting in Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal. Some of his analytical pieces have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. Nishad can also be followed on Twitter)