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| Hashim Amla has been appointed the Gauteng Lions' batting coach |
Hashim Amla was named the Gauteng Lions' batting coach on Wednesday, which raised the query, "Has he ever been away from the game?" Really not long enough for anyone to forget the mark he left on it, or not even close. Some athletes leave their mark. Others produce enchantment that glistens long after they have vanished.
Even Amla's spectacular playing career, which included 28 hundreds, 9,282 runs at an average of 46.64 in 215 Test innings, and the distinction of being the player to accumulate 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 6,000, and 7,000 runs in ODIs the fastest, doesn't ensure success as a coach. What qualities might he bring to the job?
"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."
In June 2019, Amla participated in the final of his 349 international games before making an additional 59 appearances. These belonged to the World Giants (T10, BPL, and legendary outfits), Surrey, the Falcon Hunters, the Khulna Tigers, and the Karnataka Tuskers.
In 21 innings for the latter in the county championship last year, he totaled 718 runs at a 39.88 batting average, two hundreds, and three fifty-sevens. Not bad for a 40-year-old as of May 31. However, he is 487 days younger than James Anderson, who is still alive but not in the best of health.
Amla announced on January 18 of this year that he will be hanging up his batting gloves permanently, sparking an outpouring of support for his career and character from both former teammates and rivals. But he participated in two Legends T20 matches in Doha in March. Against an attack that comprised Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Amir, Abdur Razzak, Sohail Tanvir, Shahid Afridi, and Abdul Razzaq, he scored 68 out of 59 in the second of them.
He had already served as the batting coach for Mumbai Indians Cape Town at that point, but they had lost seven of their previous 10 games and were the first team ousted from the playoffs in the inaugural SA20. And this is it—a real job. For all three formats, Amla will be Russell Domingo, the head coach of the Lions,' go-to batting option. Jono Leaf-Wright, the chief executive of the Lions, stated on Thursday that he will "add value in the women's, academy, and U19 space."
According to the results of the previous season, Amla will concentrate most of his attention on the first-class competition, where the Lions placed fourth out of eight teams. Ryan Rickelton scored three hundreds in five innings, propelled by what he perceived as the injustice of being declared unavailable for South Africa due to an ankle ailment that didn't prevent him from playing domestically. The team's only other other century-makers were Joshua Richards, Wiaan Mulder, and Bjorn Fortuin, each of whom scored one.
Zubayr Hamza, who joined the Lions from Western Province, will be closely monitored as he attempts to retrace his steps after playing six Test matches from January 2019 to February 2022. Hamza will demonstrate Amla's value if he can get him back to the form that allowed him to amass 5,647 runs at a rate of 46.28 in 139 innings, including an unbeaten 202 in his fourth first-class innings, two additional double centuries, and 11 simple hundreds.
Amla faces a substantial task ahead to enhance the performance of various South African players. One key focus is on improving Rassie van der Dussen's form, as he has struggled to reach 50 runs in most of his recent 17 innings across formats, except for two occasions when he scored centuries in ODIs against England.
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Additionally, Amla aims to help Hamza refine his game and revive Van der Dussen's form. He also plans to keep Rickelton in top form, ensure Bavuma remains solid, and help Reeza Hendricks secure a permanent place in South Africa's white-ball squads. Another challenge is to support Mulder in maintaining his self-belief and develop Fortuin's batting skills.
Despite limited contact with some players who will spend more time in the national setup, Amla is determined to assist Dominic Hendricks, Evan Jones, Mitch van Buuren, and Richards in continuing their progress and performing even better.
Embarking on this new role, Amla realizes that his to-do list is extensive and will likely grow. As a retired player, it is challenging to make an impact from the sidelines, but his composed and adaptable nature positions him as a capable lone warrior to handle the responsibilities ahead.