The silent hero's ultimate test - A new chapter in South African cricket
On the 3rd of June, South Africa replaced a vacancy that had been occupied for 11 years. The vacancy was filled by a man, whose character is contrasting to the predecessor. Hashim Amla was announced as the new captain of the South African Test team after the surprising retirement of 33-year-old Graeme Smith.
Amla captained his former domestic team, the Dolphins, at the early age of 22 and managed the role well. The team then consisted of experienced players such as Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener. This situation is similar to the present with the core senior players namely, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis.
His promotion to captaincy came as surprise to the cricketing world, as Amla never showed interest in captaining his country. He was named vice-captain of the ODI and Twenty20 side in February 2013, but resigned to primarily focus on his batting. Since then, Amla has been hesitant to become vice-captain and moreover captain for South Africa.
The contest to captaining South Africa was between the captains of the shorter formats, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis. JP Duminy was also rumoured to have his name in the hat, however the position was likely to be given to de Villiers until Amla stepped forward. It was obvious that Amla, who now provided the South African selection panel with an easier option, as de Villiers, already captain of the ODI squad, wicket-keeper and a top order batsman, couldn’t handle more pressure. AB de Villiers was named vice-captain of the Test squad, while Amla will also serve now as the vice-captain of the one-day format.
Amla has become the second player of colour to captain South Africa and the first official – Ashwell Prince stood in once. This is a testing time for South African cricket with two invaluable players gone – Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis – in the space of two months. New recruitments, Stiaan van Zyl and Dane Piedt will be testing waters to how the future of the teams’ prospects looks.
The number four Test batsman in the world is known for his calm and humble personality. The top-order batsman has always been placid on and off the field, gaining the respect of his teammates alike. Amla’s new role will be a new challenge to the team as different tactics will be used by their new leader. Unlike Smith, Amla is sure to do things differently and it seems likely a subtle yet audible firm approach will be delivered to the South African squad.
The 31-year-old takes reign after South Africa recorded their first defeat since their 2008/09 series defeat at home against the same opposition they lost to earlier this year. The now number two Test team in the world will see their drop in rankings as motivation in their upcoming tour to Sri Lanka in July. This will be a tough task for the new skipper as South Africa have won just two of their ten previous Tests in Sri Lanka with their last win in 2000. The first Test match between Sri Lanka starts on the 16th of July.