Hashim Amla picks his top three batting icons of all time

Former South Africa opener Hashim Amla has named some of the greatest batters he has admired across generations, picking a blend of legends he grew up watching and modern stars who have left an impact on world cricket.

Currently in England for the World Championship of Legends, where he is representing the South Africa Champions, Amla reflected on the players who inspired him growing up and the ones he considers all-time greats.

“There are so many over the years,” Amla said in an interview. “Growing up, my three favourite players were Brian Lara, Steve Waugh, and Jacques Kallis, especially Jacques, being a South African.”

When asked to choose three modern-era greats, Amla didn’t hesitate to name Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Sir Vivian Richards.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Maybe three other names: you’ve got Virat (Kohli) in recent times, AB de Villiers, and I’d say one more old one – Sir Vivian Richards,” he added.

Hashim Amla, one of the finest batters of all time, represented South Africa in 124 Tests, 181 ODIs, and 44 T20Is from 2004 to 2019. During his career, he accumulated a total of 18,672 international runs.

His remarkable score of 311 not out against England at The Oval held the record for the highest individual Test score by a South African until recently, when Wiaan Mulder surpassed it with an innings of 367 not out against Zimbabwe.

In ODIs, he scored 8,113 runs at an average of 49.46, including a national record 27 centuries. He bowed out of international cricket after the 2019 World Cup.

READ: Former Pakistan captain slams India, says ‘boycott ICC matches too’