Cricket SA pay tribute to 'absolute legend' Hashim Amla: 'He was a class apart'

Cricket South Africa (CSA) paid tribute to one of the greatest batters to grace the country, Hashim Amla, following his retirement from the sport on Wednesday.

When he stepped away from the international game, the 39-year-old played the last of his 349 matches across all three formats for the Proteas in 2019.

However, he continued to play domestically and most recently turned out for Surrey, who he helped win the English County Championship.

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Amla made more than 18 000 runs for South Africa, including 55 centuries during an international career that spanned 15 years.

At the time of retirement, he was the only Protea to have scored a triple century in Test cricket – 311 not-out against England at The Oval in mid-2012 and a record that he still holds.

The Durban-born player, who also captained the South Africa team briefly, is second behind Jacques Kallis in terms of Test runs for the country (9 282) and 15th on the overall list.

"Hashim Amla will go down as one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game," CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki said.

"His numbers are amongst the best, and he was a class apart, entertaining people all over the world with that exquisite cover drive.

"Hashim was an absolute legend. His story is one that inspires and will continue to inspire many.

"Not only was he an outstanding cricketer, but he is also an incredible and humble human being, who touched the heart of everyone he met. We at CSA would like to wish him all the best in his retirement."

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