Share

Big ‘un must be close for Amla

Cape Town – The mini-slump: even the greatest of the Test greats, a certain Don Bradman, experienced this phenomenon to a moderate degree at times.

He of the career average of 99.94 didn’t score centuries, doubles and trebles all the time; cricket is a leveller for all comers.

The Don proved his “mortality”, if you like, by once going 11 innings in Tests for Australia without a three-figure effort to show, an unusually lean stint by his giddy standards stretching from mid-January 1933 to July 1934, when he “woke up” with the hardly insignificant knock of 304 against England at Leeds.

Nobody – anywhere -- belongs in the same league, but Hashim Amla is a globally respected, weighty accumulator of the modern game in its various, expanded formats, and right up there statistically with those plying their trade in the same generation as he is.

You could say the Proteas captain (Test career average still a formidable 52.48) is going through a personal dip in an otherwise prosperous international career, too.

He will enter the decisive second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka from Thursday (05:30 start, SA time) hardly in a crease-hogging habit, even if he may well not feel that he is especially out of nick – he wouldn’t be the first or last batsman to be puzzled by that conflicting dynamic. Mother Cricket, and all that.

Yet it would be an opportune time for him to recapture that known, dominating tendency, as the cool-headed right-hander undoubtedly will before very long.

There is perhaps no coincidence attached to the fact that South Africa found themselves under unexpected pressure in the rain-ruined first contest because not only were they already without one of their “big two” in reliability, the currently absent AB de Villiers, but their glaringly insufficient first-knock total of 248 also featured a failure by the other, Amla, as the skipper succumbed to a loose stroke for 13.

The street-wise 32-year-old hasn’t got going at any stage of the tour yet, when you peruse his innings in the surrendered one-day international series: 14, 22 and 15.

He is “getting in” to a fair enough degree, it seems, but has temporarily lost his knack of making that very development properly, powerfully count in his favour.

Indeed, you have to go back as far as March 3 to find the last genuinely substantial knock by the man fondly nicknamed in trendy techno-parlance “The Incredible #”.

On that occasion at Canberra, he lashed 159 against second-tier opponents Ireland at the World Cup as the Proteas amassed 400-plus and went on to a 201-run win – although his CWC then tapered off as 38 was his highest figure in four further turns at the crease.

Even the month of May, experienced in Derbyshire’s fold in England, failed to restore Amla to vintage, durable best, although he did get a couple of half-centuries to confirm he wasn’t exactly at sea with his game.

The one thing you should probably guard against doing is suggesting the cares of national leadership are weighing down on Amla’s own performance.

Just two matches into his tenure as Test captain, he registered a crucial 139 not out against Sri Lanka, a Colombo vigil that went a long way to ensuring the Proteas safely played out a draw there to ensure a pleasing 1-0 series triumph.

Then when West Indies were the lone Test visitors to our shores last summer, Amla was in typically destructive mode at Centurion, where he withered their attack to the tune of a single-innings 208. 

Just as I might well have been inclined to do in Bradman’s case all those years back, I’m simply not prepared to wager against Amla restoring normal personal service in this Test match.

History, showing failure greatly outweighed by his plunder, tells you that’s too risky ...

*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE