Amla opens a new innings, as a coach
Wednesday's announcement that Hashim Amla had been appointed the Gauteng Lions' batting coach prompted a question: had he ever been away from the game? Not really, or not nearly long enough for anyone to forget the mark he left on it. Some players leave memories. Others make magic that shimmers long after they're gone.
But even a career as stellar as Amla's - 28 centuries and 9,282 runs at 46.64 in 215 Test innings, and still the fastest man to reach 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 6,000 and 7,000 runs in ODIs - doesn't guarantee success as a coach. What might he bring to the role?
"Any team who sign him up are going to benefit from him and his presence," Dale Steyn, who shared a dressing room with Amla in 89 Tests, 95 ODIs and 20 T20Is, or more than half of Amla's international career, told Cricbuzz.
"Even if he wasn't a coach, if he was just a mentor, just people talking to him and listening to him, seeing what a calm person he is, would help a team so much. As a coach, what's even better is that he can add his input on things like how to score, where to score, when to score, when not to score. From a batting perspective, that's massive.
"He's also a leader in that he captained South Africa [in 14 Tests, nine ODIs and two T20Is, and to the final of the 2002 under-19 World Cup]. He ticks a lot of boxes in the sense that he can assist many people in that space, whether it's the captain, the head coach, or any player.
"He's one of the most approachable people I've ever had the pleasure of hanging around with. He doesn't assign himself to any particular group. 'Hash' is a lone warrior. He can fit in with anyone. That's a great benefit to have in a team because anyone can go and talk to him. He has a wealth of knowledge, and the Lions are really going to benefit from that."
Amla featured in the last of his 349 internationals in June 2019, then appeared in 59 other matches. These were for Karnataka Tuskers, Falcon Hunters, Khulna Tigers, World Giants - T10, BPL and legends outfits - and Surrey.
In 21 innings for the latter in last year's county championship he scored two centuries and three 50s amid his 718 runs at 39.88. Not bad for someone who turned 40 on May 31. Then again, that makes him 487 days younger than James Anderson, who is still going if not exactly strong.
On January 18 this year Amla said he was hanging up his famously unsweaty batting gloves for good, prompting an outpouring of appreciation for his career and character from former teammates and opponents alike. But, in March, he played in two legends T20s in Doha. He scored 68 off 59 in the second of them, against an attack that included Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Amir, Abdur Razzak, Sohail Tanvir, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq.
Source Of info: https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/127456/amla-opens-a-new-innings-as-a-coach
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