Champions Trophy: The understated Hashim Amla is slowly finding his place among the game’s greatest

Understated, mild-mannered, a polar-opposite to the young cricketers whose aggressive brand of cricket has redefined the sport, South Africa batsman Hashim Amla is not only reinventing every step of the way and but is matching the stars of the current generation with consistent performances across formats, a feat only a handful have managed to achieve in the past decade.

In a sport of three varied formats, not many can boast to have cracked the code for all. In the past season, from almost under the radar, Amla has become a man of all seasons, and more importantly a man of all formats.

Since making his entry into the sport, Amla has for long been considered a Test specialist. His astute technique, coupled with a calm personality, augured well for the batsman in the longest format of the game that required a batsman to showcase restrain and immense powers of concentration.

As the game has evolved, there are many who have struggled to keep pace with the changing dynamics of the limited-overs format. Today, the achievable target in both the limited formats knows no bounds. As this theory seeps through the cricketing world, there is a threat to classical batsmen, who’s ascent in the sport has been shaped by their showing in Test cricket.

The 34-year-old is among a handful of batsmen in world cricket to have calibrated his style to the vagaries of the limited overs format.

In the past few seasons, Amla has quietly piled on the runs calibrating his style of play to suit the modern game. It’s not all slam-bam, though, Amla remains a batsman of the classical variety. He still tends to hit the ball in the V and takes the aerial route sparingly.

Despite the style of batting, Amla has been a consistent run-scorer, especially in the shorter formats.

Surpassing Virat Kohli

In the past year, Amla has almost unexpectedly eclipsed two records set by India skipper Virat Kohli in One-Day International cricket.

On Saturday, he became the fastest batsman to reach 25 ODI centuries with a 115-ball 103 that laid the foundation for South Africa’s 96-run win over Sri Lanka in their opening encounter of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy.

With 151 innings, Amla edged ahead of Kohli, who reached the landmark in 162 innings.

Amla had earlier become the fastest man to have scored 7000 runs in ODIs, a record also held by the India star. Incidentally, Amla is the fasted player to have reached 2000 runs, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 runs in ODIs.

He entered the Champions Trophy, on back of a fine run of form that saw scored 420 runs from 10 games in the Indian Premier League where he was the star player for the Kings XI Punjab with two centuries to his credit.

While his credentials in the Test format were never in doubt, his devastating form in limited overs cricket has rightfully placed him among the best in the game of this generation.

One among the best

Despite his consistency, Amla has never been seriously considered among the best in the business. Overshadowed by the likes of AB de Villiers at home, the understated style of Amla’s cricket has seen not many shouting his name from the stands.

But, as he showed on Saturday, and in the IPL before that, Amla can be the trusted star, who can hand his side the desired result.

On current form, Amla can challenge the likes of Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root, who are considered the best batsmen of today’s generation.

After Root and Williamson scored impressive centuries in the first two games of the Champions Trophy, it was only fair for Amla to match them with a triple-digit score of his own in the third encounter of the tournament.

He showed great fortitude on Saturday, laying the foundation for his side’s comfortable win. Amla shared a 145-run stand with teammate Faf du Plessis during the innings as South Africa set Sri Lanka a target of 300 to chase.

The total could have been much higher, but South Africa’s middle-order failed to build on to the work put in by Amla. De Villiers, Miller and Chris Morris could not make an impact, underscoring the team’s dependence on Amla up the order.

Despite the individual highs, a lot will depend on the positive results his knocks will earn for his team. In the IPL both his centuries came in a losing cause. South Africa were also edged by England in the three-game ODI series preceeding the Champions Trophy.

For Amla to counted among the best in the game, he will have to deliver results. A positive result for South Africa - a team considered to be perennial chokers - in the ongoing Champions Trophy could go a long way in achieving that feat.