Newly appointed South African Test captain Hashim Amla can create his own legacy: Jacques Kallis
Retired South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis believes that his former teammate and top order batsman Hashim Amla will do justice to his new role as South African Test captain. Beating the likes of AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, the South African One Day International and Twenty20 international captains respectively, Amla, after having expressed his interest in captaincy, succeeded Graeme Smith as the national Test team skipper.
When asked about Amla’s appointment, Kallis said: “I have no doubt Hash will be successful. It's time for him to create his own legacy. I think he'll do a good job. He understands the game of cricket pretty well – he's played cricket at the highest level for long enough and succeeded. I think it will help his performances as well. I certainly don't think it will hinder his performances. He's that type of character and it's nice to see him take on that type of role.”
The 31-year-old has had a successful second coming to international arena and has since then been a prolific run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs. Of late, he has started to make a mark in T20Is, too, bringing solidity to the top order that has the likes of Quinton de Kock, Du Plessis and De Villiers.
He added: “He's a well-respected player, and that's half the battle as a captain – to have the respect of your players. He gets that automatically with his performances. He'll be the type of captain who will lead from the front through his play.”
In the 76 Tests Amla has played, he has scored 6214 runs at an average of 51.35. He has 21 centuries and 27 half-centuries to his name in the longer format.
On how Amla’s calm demeanour will have an impact on his captaincy, he said: He's not an in-your-face type of guy. He's pretty much in the background – the quiet type of guy. It doesn't mean those guys can't be good leaders. Sometimes those guys are the best leaders. It gives them a chance to step out of the situation and give a unique perspective. He'll have a very calming influence on the side. There are some exciting times ahead for him personally.”